Football national team: Karl after missing the World Cup: "It simply hurts incredibly"
Lennart Karl says missing the World Cup with a thigh injury hurts deeply, and he promises to return stronger.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Bayern teenager Lennart Karl has ruled himself out of the World Cup after suffering a torn muscle bundle in his left front thigh during final training. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann replaced him with RB Leipzig's Assan Ouédraogo.
A young football player got hurt right before the biggest tournament, like breaking a toy just before a big game night. He said it hurts a lot, but he wants to come back stronger and still cheer for his team.
Analysis
Karl's reaction
Lennart Karl addressed the setback himself shortly after the diagnosis. The 18-year-old Bayern Munich player said it hurt to miss the biggest tournament and added that injuries often come at the worst possible time. He said he had done everything he could to be fit and promised to come back stronger while supporting the DFB team every minute.
What happened
According to the DFB, Karl suffered a muscle bundle tear in the left front thigh during the final training session before the last test match against the United States in Chicago. The team said he was examined in a hospital after the injury was discovered.
Squad change
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann reacted immediately and added Assan Ouédraogo of RB Leipzig to the 26-man squad. Ouédraogo made his senior debut in November against Slovakia, scoring once in Germany's 6-0 win as they finished World Cup qualifying. He is expected to travel to the team hotel in Winston-Salem and join the squad there.
Wider reaction
Karl's Instagram post drew thousands of comments quickly. Among those reacting were several German internationals, including Jamal Musiala, Nick Woltemade, and Antonio Rüdiger, as well as Bayern teammates Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano and Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka. The volume of support underlines how visible the injury is within the wider football community.
Key points
- Lennart Karl suffered a muscle bundle tear in his left front thigh during final World Cup preparation.
- The 18-year-old Bayern player said missing the tournament hurts "unbelievably" and thanked people for their messages.
- Julian Nagelsmann replaced him with RB Leipzig's Assan Ouédraogo in the 26-man squad.
- Ouédraogo had already made his senior debut for Germany and scored in a 6-0 win over Slovakia.
- Karl's post drew thousands of supportive comments from teammates and other players.
Karl says he will come back stronger, which suggests he expects to recover and return to football. The public support from teammates and other players may help him through the setback. Germany also has a ready replacement in Ouédraogo, so the squad can move on quickly.
Karl misses the World Cup entirely, losing a major chance to gain international experience. The injury happened at the worst possible time, so the setback could slow his momentum just as he was pushing for a tournament role.
