Overview
- Germany's World Cup training camp in Herzogenaurach opened with Julian Nagelsmann stressing a tight-knit 'family' culture to help the squad cope with travel and heat.
- Coaching staff decided Neuer will not play in the friendly against Finland and named Oliver Baumann to start so Neuer's minor calf hardening can be managed for the group stage.
- Sporting director Rudi Völler and Nagelsmann offered cautious optimism for the tournament and set the immediate objective to progress through the group phase, ideally as group winners.
- Contract and transfer business continues around the squad: Nico Schlotterbeck extended at Borussia Dortmund with a reported limited July exit clause and players are being tracked by clubs as the World Cup becomes a major market opportunity.
- Grischa Prömel's move to VfB Stuttgart was confirmed for next season, and a separate local incident in Hesse saw a multi-agency search at a Babenhausen gravel lake suspended with police divers to continue the probe.