Germany's 2026 World Cup preparations ramp up this month, with two friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann picked two new names for his latest squad, announced on Thursday. Bayern Munich's high-flying 18-year-old attacking midfielder Lennart Karl and 22-year-old goalkeeper Jonas Urbig have been included for the first time. The pair can now both have legitimate hopes of making Germany's World Cup squad this summer given that Nagelsmann has already admitted that the squad for these matches would be very similar to the one for the summer tournament.

"The decisive factor is that we have a core group of players, but can also see a few players who aren't part of the squad yet," Nagelsmann said at the announcement, adding that Stach and Vagnoman had a chance to impress.

Karl, who only this week became the youngest German player and youngest Bayern Munich player to score and assist in a Champions League match, has been closing in on a Germany spot for the last few weeks.

"I expect him to bring his youthful carefree spirit onto the field. He likes to play centrally, but we’ve also planned to use him on the right. I won’t put any pressure on him to perform miracles, though. He should bring exactly what a young player embodies and play football freely from the heart," Nagelsmann said of Karl.

Urbig has become the new number one in place of an injured Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich and has impressed. Even though Oliver Baumann remains Germany's number one, Urbig's inclusion is also a look to the future in a position of need for Germany. "He has shown exceptional mental resilience," said Nagelsmann. "He came in and was completely dominant, handling one or two situations on the fly very well."

Germany's head coach also admitted that the strength of the Bayern grouping played a role. "Bayern is having a top-notch season both domestically and internationally; they embody a great attitude," Nagelsmann said. "That's why we were happy to call on this group of players."

Returnees to the squad include Kai Havertz, who comes back after a long injury lay-off, Pascal Gross, Anton Stach, Antonio Rüdiger, Deniz Undav and Josha Vagnoman.

Jamal Musiala has been left out as the Bayern star continues to re-build his fitness following a recent injury. Cologne's Said El Mala, who was included in Germany's World Cup qualifier squad in November last year, was not picked this time and will play for the U21s. Angelo Stiller and Maximilian Mittelstädt missed out, with Nagelsmann admitting that the former is a notch behind Aleksandar Pavlovic.

"Some players are cut out for certain roles, and others simply aren’t. We have to decide whether a player fits the role we have in mind for him," Nagelsmann said.

Germany's program until World Cup

Germany will play Switzerland in Basel on March 27 before returning to Stuttgart to play Ghana on March 30. Both opponents have also qualified for the 2026 World Cup. The last time Germany faced Switzerland was a 1-1 draw at the 2024 Euros. Germany have only faced Ghana three times in their history, with the last being a thrilling 2-2 draw in the 2014 World Cup group stage.

This is the last international break before the 2026 World Cup. Germany's tournament preparation begins in late May with the announcement of the 26-man World Cup squad and then a friendly against Finland in Mainz. After that, the team heads out to America. They will play a final warm-up game against hosts the USA on June 6 before heading to their base camp in North Carolina. Germany's World Cup starts on June 14 against Curacao in Houston.

Amid political tensions in the USA, hosts Germany have already said they are unlikely to take part in any potential boycott or even get political at the 2026 tournament. Nevertheless, the US war in Iran poses ethical questions for all those involved in the tournament.

"War always affects people's moods," Nagelsmann said. "But unfortunately, I'm no fortune-teller. If I had a button that would end all wars, I'd press it. But unfortunately, I don't have one."

The 38-year-old though, says he is focused on the sport.

"I've never participated in a World Cup before, so I'm extremely excited about it," Nagelsmann added. "We will try to play a good tournament and, for those who are still skeptical, put on a good show and lift the spirits."

Edited by: Matt Pearson