Julian Nagelsmann has named his 26-man Germany squad for the World Cup.

Nagelsmann has sprung a major surprise, selecting Manuel Neuer for the tournament, despite the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, now 40, retiring from international duty in 2024 and pledging as recently as last month that he would not be returning.

Leroy Sane is included, despite his historic indifferent form for the national team, while there are also call ups for Premier League players Florian Wirtz, Nick Woltemade, Kai Havertz, Pascal Gross and Malick Thiaw.

Leeds United’s Anton Stach, who was part of the squad during the recent March internationals, has been omitted.

Germany will be hoping for a far stronger showing this summer. Having won the last of their World Cups in 2014, they were eliminated in the group stage in 2018 and 2022.

They will begin their tournament against Curacao in Houston on June 14th, before facing Ivory Coast (Toronto, 20th June) and Ecuador (New Jersey, 25th June) to complete their fixtures in Group E.

Are there any surprise omissions?

Niclas Fullkrug’s form has been in sharp decline since leaving Borussia Dortmund for West Ham — via a difficult loan with AC Milan — so his omission is no surprise.

Leaving Stuttgart’s Chris Fuhrich out is contentious. Fuhrich is a stylish winger who has had a good season in the Bundesliga and who possesses an intricate, out-to-in threat that Germany do not otherwise possess, so that might be Nagelsmann’s biggest and least popular call.

Robert Andrich has proven himself a versatile and useful squad member over the last few years and Nagelsmann was expected to select him as a security option, adding extra cover to his midfield and defence, but he has not made it either.

Nor is there room for Karim Adeyemi. The Borussia Dortmund forward has been struggling with injury in recent weeks, but — even had he not been — it’s questionable whether his form this season would really have warranted a call-up.

Are there any surprise selections?

Mainz playmaker Nadiem Amiri is on the plane, deservedly, after a fine season. Without Amiri, Mainz would likely have been relegated this year, so he has taken the hard road to this World Cup.

The big news, however, is Manuel Neuer’s return.

He retired from international duty after the 2024 European Championship and, over the past year, has consistently denied that he was considering reversing that decision for this World Cup. Even as a recently as April, Neuer was adamant, saying that his retirement was “set in stone” and that he wished the squad — and incumbent goalkeeper Oliver Baumann — well for the summer.

But Neuer is back for what will be his fifth World Cup.

Elsewhere, the inclusion of Lennart Karl, Bayern’s precocious teenage attacker, was expected but not quite certain. That will be popular with a sporting public eager for the national team to carry a wildcard and to see more of a player generally considered to be the country’s biggest hope for the next generation.

There will be less enthusiasm for Leroy Sane, whose selection will be deemed a case of reputation over form, a tendency Nagelsmann is regularly accused of deferring to. As a case in point, Sane has always been rather theoretical for Germany. His performances for the national team have been meagre and his form for Galatasaray this season did not make a strong case for his making the cut, either, meaning that Sane’s showing during the tournament will attract much scrutiny.

Are there any notable absentees?

Serge Gnabry. He suffered a season-ending injury following Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final tie with Real Madrid and will be a big miss, particularly given his resurgence under Vincent Kompany.

What is the one problem the manager needs to solve?

The German defence has suffered a difficult couple of years. Joshua Kimmich and David Raum will start in the full back roles, but Nagelsmann has to find a balance in the middle, selecting two from Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton, with Newcastle United’s Malick Thiaw as a supplementary option.

There’s no perfect combination. Each “two” has different strengths and weakness. But Germany’s success at the tournament depends — arguably — more on that decision than any other.

Who are their warm-up games against?

The Germans will face Finland in Mainz on May 31, before a final warm-up against the U.S. at Chicago’s Soldier Field on June 6.

Germany’s full 26-man squad

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nubel

Defenders: Joshua Kimmich (captain), Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum, Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton, Antonio Rudiger, Nathaniel Brown, Malick Thiaw

Midfielders: Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Lennart Karl, Angelo Stiller, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane, Felix Nmecha, Nadiem Amiri, Pascal Gross.

Forwards: Kai Havertz, Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling, Nick Woltemade, Maximilian Beier

Sigona Golf Club’s Mohit Mediratta has expressed confidence ahead of the second leg of the PGK Equator Tour, scheduled from Thursday, 21st to Sunday, 24th at the par-72 Thika Sports Club.

The Safaricom-backed golfer heads into the second leg in high spirits after emerging as the overall winner in the opening leg of the second edition held in April at Vet Lab Sports Club.

Mohit delivered an exemplary performance throughout the tournament, sparked by a stunning hole-in-one that set the tone for his victory.

Speaking during a training session ahead of the tournament, Mohit acknowledged the pressure of maintaining his position at the top, especially given the stiff competition, but remained confident of another strong performance.

“I am keen to continue with the strong performance as we head to the second leg of the PGK Tour this week. The pressure is there, but I am looking forward to the challenge. As part of the corporate team supported by Safaricom, I am hopeful that we will retain the top corporate title.”

Other Safaricom-backed players also aiming to challenge Mohit’s position on the leaderboard include Mutahi Kibugu, Samuel Njoroge, and Matthew Wahome.

The PGK Equator Tour, now in its second edition, continues to play a key role on the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The series also serves as a pre-qualifier for Kenyan professional golfers aiming to compete at the Magical Kenya Open.

The Thika leg will see over 50 professional golfers battle it out for top honors, including the corporate category title.

The second edition of the PGK Equator Tour kicked off in April and will run until February 2027, culminating in a grand finale scheduled for the same month.

Stacy Boit,

Spanish cyclist Jaume Guardeno has been transferred to a clinic specialising in serious neurological injuries following a crash with a vehicle in March.

Guardeno, who finished 14th overall in last year’s Vuelta a Espana, was injured in a training ride on 31 March which left him in critical condition.

Spanish media reported that the 23-year-old suffered a head injury after losing control of his bicycle when he hit a rock, which led to him colliding with a car.

Guardeno was taken to the intensive car unit (ICU) at the Tauli Hospital in Sabadell following the crash but has now been moved to a clinic in Barcelona which specialises in “neurorehabilitation and treatment of serious neurological injuries”.

“We continue to extend our full support and solidarity to Jaume, as well as to his family and friends, accompanying them in this difficult time,” his cycling team Caja Rural-Seguros RGA said in a statement.

“On behalf of the team and the family, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for the exceptional care received during the transfer in the Servimedic ambulance, as well as for all the care provided at the Parc Tauli Hospital in Sabadell.

“Special thanks to the HEMS helicopter emergency service; the critical and semi-critical care unit of the ICU, led by Doctors Andrey Rodriguez and Guillem Gruartmoner de Vera; and the entire neurosurgery and maxillofacial team.

“Go Jaume!”

Stacy Boit,

Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley has confirmed the region is yet to sign Welsh rugby’s latest Professional Rugby Agreement (PRA).

Ospreys announced they intended to sign the deal that would guarantee their survival until at least 2028.

But four weeks on there is still no agreement.

Scarlets are also yet to commit to the deal negotiated between the WRU and the four regions which stipulates how the professional game in Wales will be run, including details such as how much money each side will have.

Ospreys and Scarlets are currently signed up to an old agreement which runs out in 2028, while Dragons and Cardiff – who are currently owned by the WRU – put pen to paper in May 2025 on the new PRA25 deal which lasts until 2030.

“It’s not signed yet, but it’s progressing towards that, so it’s very close,” Bradley told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

“It’s just a few details to sort out, there aren’t any problems with it.”

Bradley also denied reports suggesting the new agreement would mean budget cuts for the clubs.

He added: “There was some discussion about how you manage recruitment at relatively short notice, but no there’s no plans for a reduction in the budget.”

Negotiations for the new PRA have been set against a backdrop of the WRU planning to cut the number of professional men’s teams in Wales from four to three.

The union wants to achieve this in time for the 2028-29 season and will outline the terms of how this will be achieved by this summer.

Previous WRU proposals have suggested only one side would remain in the west of Wales, but Bradley remains hopeful for a long-term future for both Ospreys and Scarlets.

“I think we need to see the details of it,” Bradley said.

“My personal preference would be that four regions is something that works very well.

“Ospreys against Scarlets is the biggest club game in Welsh rugby and you know everybody likes to hate everybody else, but it’s a fantastic game and it’s a fantastic rivalry and I’d like to see it continue if possible.”