US-eligible Nathaniel Brown gets first call-up by Germany for World Cup qualifiers

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — To help turn around a troubled qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann is looking to a player who would be eligible to represent the United States.

Left back Nathaniel “Nene” Brown was called up by Germany on Thursday for qualifying games on Oct. 10 against Luxembourg and Oct. 13 against Northern Ireland. Nagelsmann called him “a big talent in defense.”

These games are crucial for Germany, which is only third in its group after it lost its opening game to Slovakia last month, as it bids to reach the World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Committing to Germany

The 22-year-old Brown is eligible for both nations, but playing for Germany in a competitive game over the age of 20 would close the door on representing the U.S. in the future.

Brown was born in Germany to an American father and German mother, and he plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. He was a key part of the Germany Under-21 team which lost the European Championship final to England in June.

Brown has said previously he was contacted about potentially representing the U.S. but is happy to stay with Germany.

“Of course,” he said in a video released by Frankfurt in July, when asked if he’d thought about playing for the U.S. “There was contact as well, but I was born in Germany and I’ve played for the under-21s.”

No Sané and Füllkrug

With Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger out injured, Nagelsmann will rely on Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck to hold the defense together. Schlotterbeck returned only this month from a five-month injury layoff.

“Even if we’re still missing some players we’re convinced our team has the quality to do better than it has done recently,” Nagelsmann said. “With Toni Rüdiger out it’s enormously important to have Nico Schlotterbeck back.”

Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade could be the first-choice striker after Nagelsmann dropped Niclas Füllkrug, who hasn’t scored for West Ham since April. Forward Leroy Sané misses out again following his move to Turkish club Galatasaray, while Dortmund midfielder Pascal Gross also misses out.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer