Nico Schlotterbeck: "This is the best team energy since I became a Germany player"
Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck is set to be a key member of Germany's backline at this summer's FIFA World Cup 2026, and has high hopes heading into the team's opening match.
Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck is set to be a key member of Germany's backline at this summer's FIFA World Cup 2026, and his high hopes heading into the team's opening match.
The central defender, who is getting ready to appear at his second World Cup, sees some key differences in the way the current squad are bonding compared to at previous tournaments: "What I currently see from us, how we train together, support each other, how much we do together off the pitch – I would say that is the best team energy since I became a national player."
Schlotterbeck also expressed plenty of optimism about Germany's prospects, citing the widely praised atmosphere within Julian Nagelsmann's squad. "Hopefully, this [energy] will translate onto the pitch, because it will motivate everyone to go the extra mile to support their teammates," the 26-year-old explained. "I sense that each of us is trying to give our best because we don't want to disappoint the team."
If Germany do manage to harness that energy from their World Cup base in Windsor-Salem to the pitch, Schlotterbeck believes it can make waves on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, too. "We can ignite the euphoria by winning victories and playing good football".
Compared to the disappointing 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the national team is "significantly stronger" according to Schlotterbeck: "We know how good we are, we've achieved nine wins in a row. And you can see that even big teams like France can lose against, for example, Ivory Coast.
"I think the initial apprehension will disappear after the first two or three games because we will hopefully play so well that the fans will say, 'This is the team we want to win something with'."
Watch: The best of Nico Schlotterbeck in 2025/26
THe Dortmund centre-back has also learned from defeats, such as the group stage elimination in Qatar: "On the one hand, I would of course prefer to undo that experience. But on the other hand, it was very important for my career because it helped me mature as a character."
The World Cup has had a special place in Schlotterbeck's heart ever since the 2006 tournament in Germany. Indeed, a recent chance encounter brought back vivid memories of watching Jürgen Klinsmann's side all those years ago: "I met Oliver Neuville last year or the year before because he's the assistant coach at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
"I had to shake his hand after the game, because his goal against Poland [at the 2006 World Cup] was kind of my first encounter with a World Cup. In that moment, I felt like that little boy again, cheering in front of the TV."
