Germany, the "German Panzers," will travel to face Slovakia in the first round of Group A of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann stated at a press conference that setting a goal is beneficial for the team's direction and believes that aiming to become a world champion is healthy.

In terms of head-to-head record, Germany last played against Slovakia in the 2016 European Cup, when Germany defeated their opponent 3-0.

Germany coach Nagelsmann said in an interview, "I think it is healthy to set a clear goal, both for the team and for individuals. If there is no goal, it is difficult to work hard and fight. For all of us, it is healthy to set the goal of becoming a world champion. I also told the players that this is our goal. If a player has different ideas, then he does not need to participate in the game with the team."

"We focus on the schedule, taking it game by game and finding our rhythm. At the end of any process it's important to set a goal and that's what I did."

In terms of lineup selection, Nagelsmann said, "We have always been very flexible. There will be different stages in the game where we need to make adjustments according to the opponent. Sometimes it is 3 defenders, sometimes it is 4 defenders. Every opponent and every game requires a different response."

Talking about Waltermader who moved from Stuttgart to Newcastle earlier, Nagelsmann said, "Waltermader has become more focused after the transfer. He can also show his ability to the new club and new coach through the performance of the national team, but I have not decided whether he will start tomorrow."

In addition, German midfielder Wirtz officially joined Liverpool in June and played in all three games after the start of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Nagelsmann said: "Wirts is one of our most important players. He is not a traditional No. 10 player who only wants to control the ball. He runs a lot on the court. The period before the transfer was not easy for him because he needed to consider a lot of things. His current performance at Liverpool is not particularly outstanding, but it is definitely not bad."

"When he was at Leverkusen he was a top star and all the focus was on him. But now at Liverpool he is just one of many stars, which spreads the attention and pressure to many people. It is normal to need time to adapt to a new club, new league, new culture and new stadium. He will definitely play well and score goals and provide assists."