Germany’s 2026 qualifying campaign began with a jolt as Slovakia won 2–0 in Bratislava, handing the four-time world champions their first-ever away defeat in a World Cup qualifier. Dávid Hancko struck just before half-time and Dávid Strelec curled in a second on 55 minutes to seal a landmark result at the National Football Stadium.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side, beaten by Portugal and France in June’s Nations League, were second best for long spells. Oliver Baumann saved well from Leo Sauer in a one-on-one, but Germany failed to heed the warnings and were punished when Florian Wirtz lost possession in the build-up to Hancko’s opener. A brighter start to the second half faded quickly as Strelec turned Antonio Rüdiger and finished beyond Baumann for 2–0.
Nagelsmann lamented a lack of intensity. “We did not show any emotionality… We want to go to the World Cup but today we were miles away from that,” he said, adding that desire may need to be prioritised over pure technical quality in his selections.
The defeat ends Germany’s perfect away record in World Cup qualifying, spanning more than a hundred matches, and leaves Group A finely poised after the opening round. Slovakia visit Luxembourg on Sunday, while Germany hosts Northern Ireland as they seek an immediate response.
