Germany have been dealt a significant blow ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with teenage midfielder Lennart Karl ruled out of the tournament after tearing a muscle bundle in his right thigh during training.

Karl, 18, was the youngest player on Julian Nagelsmann's squad and had made a strong impression at senior level, featuring in more than two dozen matches for the national side. He made his debut in March friendly matches against Switzerland and Ghana before appearing in a pre-tournament fixture against Finland.

The injury occurred during a training session ahead of Germany's final warm-up match before their World Cup opener, leaving the youngster with no realistic path to recovery in time for the tournament.