The National Team and Leroy Sane: Is there room for a troubled child in the World Cup squad?

In the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers Group A, Germany defeated Luxembourg 2-0 away, while Galatasaray's Leroy Sane's return to the German national team and his flawless performance left everyone in awe.

Galatasaray star Leroy Sane was called up to the national team again after a long absence and made a mark on his return with an impressive performance in the starting line-up. Sane made the assist for Woltemade's opening goal in the early stages of the second half, driving into the penalty area and sending in a powerful cross. He also capped off his performance with a shot that hit the post.

Germany national team manager Julian Nagelsmann had this to say about Sane: ‘Sane had a generally good game today. He had two excellent moves that led to both of our goals. His ball control and subsequent assist for the first goal were truly superb.’
Despite all this, Sané's future in the national team remains a topic of debate. In an article titled ‘Is there room for the troubled child in the World Cup squad?’ featured in Sportschau, the question is posed: "Will he play or won't he? How many more chances will he get? What are the World Cup expectations? Does he have the right attitude? This topic, which Nagelsmann has also partially supported, has been on the agenda for days, and Sane's performance in Luxembourg, including his goal pass, has not yet changed opinions."

The report also stated that with Florian Wirtz and the injured Jamal Musiala in the squad, Leroy Sane is unlikely to be a regular starter in the World Cup to be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico next summer. It included comments from Bayern's Jonathan Tah about Sane: "He works very hard even in training; it's something you can't see right now. That's the Leroy we need."
German Sky DE, meanwhile, included Sane in its predicted starting eleven for the Slovakia match.