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German chancellor wishes national team well ahead of World Cup opener

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 12, 2026, 1:26 PM

Last updated Jun 12, 2026

German chancellor wishes national team well ahead of World Cup opener

Summary

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz conducted a video call on June 12 to wish the national soccer team good luck as they prepare for the World Cup. During the call, he spoke with captain Joshua Kimmich, defender Jonathan Tah, forward Kai Havertz, and coach Julian Nagelsmann at their base camp in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Merz expressed that the entire country supports the team, who will begin their World Cup campaign on Sunday against Curaçao. The team is also set to face Ivory Coast and Ecuador in the group stage, aiming to improve upon their previous performances where they exited in the group stage in the last two tournaments.

Source Links

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By the Numbers

•Merz spoke to the team via video from his office.
•Germany's first match is on Sunday against Curaçao.
•The team also competes against Ivory Coast and Ecuador in the group stage.
•Germany aims to overcome past group stage exits.

Latest Updates

1:26 PMYahoo Sports — German chancellor wishes World Cup team well in video call

What they're saying

"
German Chacellor Friedrich Merz has wished the national team well for the World Cup in a video call, saying that "the whole of Germany has their fingers crossed for you. " A video on Merz's Instagram account showed the chancellor talking from his office to captain Joshua Kimmich, defender Jonathan Tah, forward Kai Havertz and coach Julian Nagelsmann at the team's base camp in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
— Yahoo Sports

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