Germany’s 2026 World Cup qualifying journey began on a disappointing note with a 2-0 loss to Slovakia in Bratislava. David Hancko and David Strelec scored for the hosts at Stadion Tehelne pole, securing victory in the Group A match.
Slovakia nearly took the lead midway through the first half, but Oliver Baumann denied Leo Sauer. Meanwhile, Martin Dubravka stopped Maximilian Mittelstadt’s attempt, and Nick Woltemade missed a close-range header.
Slovakia opened the scoring just before halftime when Strelec set up Hancko, who finished with precision after a run from midfield. Germany tried to respond early in the second half, with Leon Goretzka testing Dubravka. However, they fell further behind in the 55th minute when Norbert Gyomber assisted Strelec, who skillfully evaded Antonio Rudiger and scored with his left foot.
In stoppage time, Dubravka was quick to tip over Lubomir Satka’s misdirected clearance. This was as close as Julian Nagelsmann’s team came to scoring as their campaign started with an unexpected defeat. This loss marked only the second time Germany lost a World Cup qualifier by more than one goal; the previous instance was a 5-1 defeat to England in September 2001.
This defeat adds to Germany’s recent struggles, following losses in both the Nations League semi-finals and third-place play-off in June. It marks their first instance of losing three consecutive competitive matches since reunification. Additionally, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six games.
On the other hand, Slovakia has been impressive, avoiding defeat in their last seven World Cup qualifiers when scoring first. Their unbeaten streak stretches back eight years to a loss against England on this exact date.
Germany will need to regroup quickly if they hope to turn around their fortunes in upcoming qualifiers. Meanwhile, Slovakia will aim to build on this momentum as they continue their campaign.