German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, recorded a short video on the lawns at Bellevue Palace wishing the Germany team success ahead of its first FIFA 2026 Men’s World Cup match on Sunday against Curaçao.
In the clip the president and his wife were shown kicking a football and delivered plainspoken encouragement. Steinmeier said, "We are sharing your sense of excitement and cross our fingers — not just my wife and I, but the whole country," and added his hope that "a fifth star can be sewn on the jersey." Büdenbender urged the players to "Play with a lot of team spirit, joy and passion. We hope for lots of goals from you, and we are looking forward to the games."
The message carries weight because it comes from Germany’s head of state at the exact moment the tournament opens for the national team. Germany brings to the tournament a record of four previous World Cup victories — 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014 — history Steinmeier referenced directly when he spoke of a fifth star.
That history also collides with recent reality. Germany exited at the group stage in both 2018 and 2022, a fact that makes the president’s public show of confidence notable: national reassurance from Bellevue Palace is arriving at a moment when expectations and recent results do not neatly align.
On the field, coach Julian Nagelsmann still faces selection questions that the video does nothing to settle. The supplementary material ahead of the tournament highlighted a likely tactical setup that could move Joshua Kimmich to right-back and suggested Nathaniel Brown has started both matches in June at left-back, potentially leapfrogging David Raum. Forward options for the No. 9 role list Deniz Undav and Kai Havertz as candidates, while Leroy Sané is cited as a recent attacking contributor after scoring against the USA in warm-up activity.
Put together, those pieces are why the germany roster headline matters: the symbolic backing from the presidency meets unresolved tactical choices. Will Nagelsmann keep Kimmich at right-back? Will Brown remain the left-back starter? Who wears No. 9 when the whistle blows on Sunday? The president’s wish for a fifth star frames those questions but cannot answer them.
Practical detail for fans: Germany’s first confirmed match of the World Cup is on Sunday against Curaçao, and that fixture will be the first measurement of whether the squad’s June form transfers into tournament performance. The presidential video is intended to rally support; the team’s starting XI and in-game decisions will determine whether the backing is justified.
The clear next step is straightforward and immediate — the team plays. What remains open is how Nagelsmann will balance the lineup choices and whether those selections will overcome the shadow of two consecutive group-stage exits. The presidency has offered hope; Sunday will test whether hope matches the plan on the pitch.
