Berlin, Germany – German football legend Lothar Matthäus revealed intriguing details about the atmosphere surrounding the German national team camp during the 2026 World Cup. He confirmed that internal disputes related to the players’ families affected the team’s focus and contributed to their early exit from the tournament.
The German national team was eliminated from the World Cup in the round of 32 after losing to Paraguay on penalties. Following this, new details emerged about what transpired within the team’s camp, according to the German newspaper Bild.
Matthäus said the team did not experience an ideal atmosphere during the tournament. He also explained that the travel and accommodation arrangements for the players’ families caused controversy within the team.
He added: “There were problems within the camp, both on and off the field. Discussions never stopped about families traveling and organizing their accommodation, which affected the team’s atmosphere”.
He continued: “From the beginning, I was not convinced by the idea of the players’ families being there in this way. Some families traveled on private planes, while others had to use commercial flights, which caused a feeling of inequality and created tension among the players”.
Matthäus noted that these disagreements were not public during the tournament, but they did affect the team’s focus. He added, “The focus should have been entirely on the competition, but dedicating so much time to families from the start of the tournament distracted the players”.
The German football legend concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the team was not at its best mentally. He believed that these factors, along with technical aspects, played a role in Germany’s early exit from the tournament.
