Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann focusing on sport over politics ahead of this summer’s World Cup

LEIPZIG, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 17: Julian Nagelsmann, Head Coach of Germany, speaks to the media in a post match press conference following the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Germany and Slovakia at Red Bull Arena on November 17, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Boris Streubel - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images Diplomatically put, there is a lot going on in the world right now outside of football and sport altogether. Due to the ongoing conflict the United States currently has with Iran, the Iran national team has provisionally withdrawn from this summer’s World Cup, at least as far as participating in the United States, though there could be a possibility that Mexico hosts all of their group stage matches.

In that regard, nothing is final as of this point, but it’s impossible to ignore the impact that lingering tensions with recent world happenings are having on fans wanting to support their nations at the World Cup abroad. Even without the current war with Iran, there were massive concerns ahead of Iran’s group stage match in Seatle, Washington vs. Egypt the same weekend that the city is planning on hosting a pride weekend.

While the football national teams and their fans are not direct representatives of their nation’s governments and/or regimes, there’s already been cause for concern that the two nations’ conservative views on homosexuality could cause problems the weekend of the scheduled match. Nonetheless, from a sporting perspective, there is a spectacle slated to occur on the world stage in what’s a new-look, expanded field that the World Cup has never seen before. There could be Cinderella stories, severe upsets, usual suspects in the latter rounds, and from the average football fans perspective, more matches overall.

For German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann, who’ll be heading to his first ever World Cup, the sporting aspect is what his sole focus is going to be on, even though he’s well aware of the current nature of the political atmosphere between the United States and the rest of the World. “You can’t completely ignore the things that are happening in the world. Of course, as a private individual, I have opinions and certain values ​​and norms.