Klopp Names 44-Man Germany Squad, Gives 16 Players First Call-Ups

Germany coach Jurgen Klopp named a 44-man squad for his first camp on Thursday, handing 16 players their first international call-ups.

Teams are normally limited to 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers per match, but Klopp selected a larger group and split it into two squads for Germany’s four upcoming Nations League fixtures.

The first group will be available for the matches against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Sept. 24 and against Greece in Augsburg three days later. The second group will cover Germany’s games against Serbia in Munich on Oct. 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on Oct. 4.

“It’s very unusual that you’ve got four games in two weeks with the national team,” Klopp said in Frankfurt. “I want to get to know as many players as possible in that time. It’s not an A-team and a B-team, but the two squads have been created in a way that each fits well together.”

Klopp was appointed in July to replace Julian Nagelsmann after Germany, four-time World Cup winners, were eliminated in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup — their third successive early tournament exit.

“It really felt like you had the feeling after the World Cup that German football is on its knees and we have no talents, no footballers,” Klopp said. “In the past four weeks, as we’ve been looking closely, plenty of talents have caught our eye. It’s a squad for two or three years from now, not just for the next four international games.”

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper “for the moment.” Joshua Kimmich, the most experienced player in the squad with 114 caps, has retained the captaincy and is expected to move from right-back to central midfield, where he plays for Bayern Munich.

Leroy Sane, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann were left out. Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rudiger have retired from international football. German media reported Undav, one of Germany’s few bright spots at the World Cup, was given time off to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.

Among the potential debutants are Eintracht Frankfurt’s Younes Ebnoutalib, Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt and Celtic midfielder Mika Baur.

“There’s a couple of lads here who will surprise you, that’s clear, but we saw something in the lads, plenty of potential, and we want to be part of their development,” Klopp said.