Germany legend and 1990 World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus threw his full support behind Die Mannschaft’s attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala, despite the Bayern Munich player’s injury-ridden season, backing him to be the country’s most vital player if they are to make a deep run in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The four-time world champions kick off their campaign against minnows Curacao on Sunday, and while Musiala seems to be an indispensable member of Julian Nagelsmann’s starting eleven, pundits in Germany, including the likes of Thomas Muller and Jurgen Klopp, have suggested it would be better to pick Deniz Undav over the out-of-form Musiala. But Matthaus was having none of it.