Uli Hoeneß picks his Germany XI for the 2026 World Cup

Uli Hoeneß is known these days for stirring the pot and speaking freely about his opinions on the German national team and FC Bayern. A few days after DFB coach Julian Nagelsmann selected his squad for the 2026 World Cup, Hoeneß has selected his personal favourite starting eleven from said players.

Uli Hoeneß' Germany XI for the 2026 World Cup (4-2-3-1):

Hoeneß keeps Manuel Neuer in goal, with David Raum, Jonathan Tah, Nico Schlotterbeck and Nathaniel Brown in front of him.

“Raum at rightback is not ideal, but in my opinion, Joshua Kimmich needs to play in midfield - that's his best position, that's where he plays extraordinary, right next to Aleksandar Pavlović. I also rate Nathaniel Brown highly.”

The double-pivot therefore insists of Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović - in Hoeneß' mind, the best solution for the defensive midfield.

In attacking midfield, Hoeneß lists Jamie Leweling, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala:

“We all know of Musiala's and Wirtz's qualities, they have to play of course. I'm a fan of Leroy Sané, but he's currently out of confidence. Lennart Karl is not yet ready to start, that's why I pick Leweling.”

There are also several option for the striker positions, with Kai Havertz most likely leading the line for Julian Nagelsmann - but not for Uli Hoeneß:

“I'm a fan of Havertz, but Nick Woltemade is more of a striker and fits this formation better in my opinion.”

Uli Hoeneß' starting eleven:

Neuer - Raum, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown - Kimmich, Pavlović - Leweling, Wirtz, Musiala - Woltemade