This week, Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a major injury blow only two matches into his Girona loan spell. The 33-year-old injured his hamstring during the weekend defeat to Real Oviedo, and as a result, he will now have to undergo surgery for the second time in six months.
It was decided in January that ter Stegen would leave Barcelona in order to play regularly, which would have given him a good chance of being Germany’s starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup. However, given that he is expected to be out of action for at least two months, his hopes have gone up in smoke.
In Germany, it is now taken for granted that ter Stegen will spend another major tournament on the periphery, as made clear by former goalkeeper Rene Adler (via Diario AS).
“It’s very cruel. I don’t think there will be a World Cup for him. He deserves it after this time of suffering and having always been as loyal as number 2. But you have to take into account the facts, how long he has been out and that Baumann is performing outstandingly. (Baumann) has played an excellent qualifying phase, he has been sensational in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim. That’s why we should get used to the fact that he’s number 1.”
The best case scenario for ter Stegen would be a return in April, but even if that does happen, he would only have a handful of matches to convince Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann that he deserves to start in North America.
However, this argument would not be strong, as he would have played less than 10 matches across the entirety of the season – given that he did not play for Barcelona until December after undergoing back surgery in the summer. In this regard, he could be fighting a losing battle, although he will be determined not to give up.
