Germany Suffers First Ever World Cup Qualifier Away Loss in Slovakia

Germany suffered a historic 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifying match, marking their first-ever away loss in World Cup qualifiers and the first competitive loss to Slovakia. Goals by David Hancko and David Strelec secured the victory for Slovakia, who played dominantly despite their lower ranking. Germany, under coach Julian Nagelsmann, displayed a lackluster performance with poor ball control and weak attacking presence, compounded by injuries to key forwards. The loss adds to Germany's recent struggles, including defeats in the UEFA Nations League and early exits from the last two World Cups, putting pressure on the team and coach ahead of the tournament. Meanwhile, Spain began their qualifying campaign strongly with a 3-0 win over Bulgaria, signaling their intent to reach the finals. Germany must quickly regroup as they prepare to host Northern Ireland next in their Group A campaign, where only group winners qualify directly for the expanded 48-team World Cup finals in North America.