Klopp names 44 players for Germany's first squad

Germany's coach Jurgen Klopp called up 16 players for the first time on Thursday. He announced a 44-man squad for his first training camp since he became coach in the summer.

Teams can only name 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers for each match. But Klopp decided to name a bigger squad, which is not common.

Klopp has split the players into two groups for Germany's four upcoming Nations League matches.

The first group will play against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and then at home to Greece three days later in Augsburg.

The second group will face Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4.

"It’s very unusual that you’ve got four games in two weeks with the national team," Klopp said during a press conference in Frankfurt.

"I want to get to know as many players as possible in that time. It’s not an A-team and a B-team, but the two squads fit well together."

Klopp took over from Julian Nagelsmann in July. This came after Germany was knocked out in the last-32 stage of the 2026 World Cup. This was their third early exit in a row from the tournament.

"It really felt like after the World Cup that German football is on its knees and we have no talents, no footballers," Klopp said.

"In the past four weeks, we’ve seen many talents that caught our eye. It’s a squad for two or three years from now, not just for the next four international games."

Leroy Sane, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka, and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann are not included. Also, veterans Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rudiger have retired from international football.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper. Klopp said the 2015 Champions League winner is the top choice "for the moment."

Ter Stegen transferred from Barcelona to Ajax on a season-long loan in the summer. He struggled with injuries and only played 12 competitive matches in the last two years.

Joshua Kimmich, the most experienced player in the squad with 114 caps, will keep the captain’s armband.

The 31-year-old will shift from right-back to central midfield, just like he does at his club.

Undav, who had a good World Cup, is not included. German media reported that the former Brighton forward needs time off to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.

Among the 16 new players are Eintracht Frankfurt’s Younes Ebnoutalib, who played in the second division last season. Other new faces include Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt, and Celtic midfielder Mika Baur.

"There are some lads here who will surprise you, that’s clear. We saw something in them, plenty of potential, and we want to help in their development," Klopp said.