Jamal Musiala delivered his best performance since his injury at the 2026 World Cup—and used the stage to make a clear statement. The Bayern star explains that he is deliberately ignoring the public debate about his role entirely.
Recently, prominent TV experts such as Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Müller, and Lothar Matthäus have publicly debated how much playing time Musiala should get on the DFB team.
The 23-year-old himself wants nothing to do with it. In an interview with BILD, he takes a clear stance: “Believe me: I don’t see or read anything about what the experts are saying. I can easily imagine what’s being said—I’ve been in the soccer business for a while now. But I deliberately choose to stay away from these things that are said or written about me.”
Instead of dwelling on other people’s opinions, the attacking player focuses solely on himself: “I focus only on myself. For me, the most important thing is that my mind is always clear. Only then can I feel fresh on the field.” National team coach Julian Nagelsmann tells him what he needs to know for his role.
Müller speaks out ahead of the World Cup opener
Interestingly, Müller—of all people—had suggested Deniz Undav instead of Musiala for the starting lineup at the start of the tournament. On a personal level, however, his former Bayern teammate remained by his side. “Yes, Thomas sent me a message before the Curaçao game and wished me good luck. He also gives me tips sometimes, but we only do that when we see each other in person,” Musiala reports.
In the 7-1 win over Curaçao, his patience finally paid off. His goal, which made it 4-1, was an emotional moment for the Munich native after a long period of struggle: “The goal definitely felt really good. I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I was in that moment since my injury—that was certainly one of my best games since I’ve been back.”
Musiala suffered his serious injury exactly one year ago in the U.S. during the Club World Cup. Today, he also sees the long road to recovery as a time of personal growth: “I’ve definitely learned the most this year. Not just in terms of soccer—I’ve also grown as a person.” Patience was crucial in that process—and the step forward after such an injury was all the greater.
Ivory Coast as the toughest opponent in the group
For the next group match on Saturday evening against Ivory Coast, Musiala expects the pressure to be significantly higher. The opponent won its opener 1-0 against Ecuador and, in his view, could become the strongest rival in the group. “Ivory Coast has an even stronger offense, so I’ll have to work even harder defensively and put a lot of energy into it,” he says.
The Bayern Munich pro has even come to enjoy this challenge: “Winning the ball back is actually a lot of fun!” He sets a clear strategy for the offense: “We have to convert our chances when we get them. If we keep playing the way we did recently against Curaçao, we should create plenty of chances.”