The German national team kicks off the 2026 World Cup this evening – and from Bayern’s point of view, one name in particular is in focus: Lennart Karl. The 18-year-old could make his debut against Switzerland and has impressively recommended himself with strong performances
Karl has already secured himself a personal milestone with his call-up to the DFB squad. But the youngster wants more – and has the best arguments for it. The question now is: will he get his chance straight away?
A look at the current season’s performance data shows why Karl is currently attracting so much attention. According to DataMB, the attacking player is one of the most efficient players in the final third
His finishing power is particularly striking. With a percentile value of 81 for non-penalty goals, he is well ahead of Florian Wirtz, who only scores 47. Karl is also clearly ahead in the combined offensive value of expected goals and assists (npxG+xA) with 90.3
These figures make it clear that the Bayern youngster is not only creative, but above all extremely determined. His actions often lead to concrete goals – a factor that can make all the difference at top international level
Versatility as a major trump card
But Karl is not only impressive when it comes to finishing, he also makes a strong impact in the build-up play and in preparation. He also clearly outperforms Wirtz in the assist percentile (85) and key passes (78)
The 18-year-old is also much more assertive when dribbling and carrying the ball. While Wirtz is more of a classic link-up player, Karl brings additional depth and pace to the attacking play
Another plus point is his versatility: unlike Wirtz, Karl can also be deployed effectively on the wings and can therefore take on different roles in attack
His work against the ball is also striking. Karl is clearly ahead of his rival in both pressing and defensive actions. This is a decisive advantage, especially for modern systems of play that rely on intensive counter-pressing
All the more remarkable: Karl achieves all these values with significantly less playing time. While Wirtz has already played over 2,000 minutes, the Bayern youngster has played around 1,225 minutes – and still delivers better efficiency values
Experience (still) speaks in Wirtz’s favor
Despite these impressive figures, one decisive factor remains: experience. Florian Wirtz already has 37 international caps to his name and knows the processes in the DFB team inside out
Julian Nagelsmann attaches great importance to well-established structures – especially with a view to the upcoming World Cup, which is why Karl is likely to initially take on the role of challenger
However, it is also clear that the Bayern youngster’s current performances have significantly increased the pressure. A debut against Switzerland would be the next logical step – and perhaps the start of a new chapter in the DFB team