Klopp calls up 44 players in huge first Germany squad

Germany's National coach Juergen Klopp addresses a press conference to announce his squad, on September 17, 2026 at the headquarters of DFB (German Football Federation) in Frankfurt, western Germany, ahead of the Nations league football matches. (Photo by Hannes P. Albert / AFP)

Germany coach Jurgen Klopp handed 16 players their first call-ups on Thursday as he unveiled a 44-man squad for his first camp since taking over as coach in the summer.

Teams are restricted to naming 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers for each match, but the former Liverpool manager took the unusual step of naming a larger squad.

Klopp has split the group into two separate squads for Germany’s four upcoming Nations League fixtures.

The first group will be available for the games fixtures against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and at home to Greece three days later in Augsburg.

The second group will be available for Germany’s matches against Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4.

“It’s very unusual that you’ve got four games in two weeks with the national team,” Klopp said at a press conference 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 named as the replacement for Julian Nagelsmann in July after the four-time World Cup winners were eliminated at the last-32 stage of the 2026 World Cup, their third successive early exit from the tournament.

“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.”

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– Ter Stegen goalkeeper, Kimmich captain –

Leroy Sane, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann have been left out, while veterans Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rudiger have since retired from international football.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be Germany’s number one option in goal. Klopp said the 2015 Champions League winner was the preferred option “for the moment”.

Ter Stegen left Barcelona for Ajax on a season-long loan in the summer after a torrid run of injuries which restricted him to just 12 competitive matches in the past two years.

Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, the most experienced member of the squad with 114 caps, has retained the captain’s armband.

The 31-year-old is set to move from right-back to central midfield, where he plays at club level.

Undav, one of the few bright spots for Germany at the World Cup, has been omitted. German media reported the former Brighton forward will be given time off to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.

Among the 16 potential debutants are Eintracht Frankfurt’s Younes Ebnoutalib, who was in the second division a season ago, along with 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.