Wirtz Shines and Lennart Karl Debuts as Germany Defeats Switzerland 4-3 in Basel

Germany defeated Switzerland 4-3 in a friendly match in Basel on Friday, March 27, 2026, with Florian Wirtz scoring twice and providing two assists to carry the DFB side through a chaotic, goal-filled encounter at St. Jakob-Park. Wirtz, who plays for FC Liverpool, was involved in all four German goals, producing what he himself described as his "probably already" best international match. The result gave Germany its first win of the year, arriving 76 (days) — before the 2026 World Cup kicks off and providing national coach Julian Nagelsmann with a mix of encouragement and defensive concerns ahead of the tournament. The match ended 2-2 at half-time after Switzerland twice took the lead, before Germany turned the game around in the second half.

Wirtz's 61st-minute dream goal silences the stadium Wirtz's performance drew superlatives from across the assembled football world watching in Basel. He opened his account by setting up Jonathan Tah's equalizer with a cross, then played Serge Gnabry through on goal shortly before half-time to restore parity at 2-2 with a lob. His third decisive contribution came in the 61st minute, when he received a short corner from Gnabry, took aim from the edge of the penalty area, and curled a shot that dropped under the crossbar — a goal that drew an audible gasp from the crowd. He then added the 4-3 winner in the 86th minute with a shot into the top corner. „He is already a world footballer. And if he maintains that, then he will stand right at the top at all clubs for a very, very long time. Because he is simply incredibly good, committed and always with the necessary power.” — Julian Nagelsmann via N-tv Lothar Matthäus, Germany's record international, told RTL that Wirtz was "a star behind the grade of 1 plus" and "the central figure in the German game." Switzerland coach Murat Yakin called Wirtz "excellent," while Wirtz himself acknowledged the performance with characteristic understatement. „I saw him in training for the first time this week. He is a top player. It is a lot of fun to play with him.” — Florian Wirtz via Der Tagesspiegel

Germany enters the 2026 World Cup cycle having experienced a turbulent period in international football, including defeats to Turkey and Austria in the autumn of 2023 that Nagelsmann described as still rankling. The DFB side has been rebuilding its squad identity under Nagelsmann, who took charge and has now handed debuts to 22 players during his tenure. The 2026 World Cup is set to be held in the United States, with Germany's preparations entering their final phase in the spring of 2026.

18-year-old Karl makes his mark on the right wing The other major talking point of the evening was the international debut of 18-year-old Lennart Karl, an FC Bayern München forward who became the 22nd debutant under Nagelsmann when he replaced Leroy Sané on the right wing in the 63rd minute. Karl immediately caught the eye with his body language and movement, repeatedly finding space and offering himself for passes. In the 85th minute he laid the ball off to David Raum, whose shot was blocked, and shortly afterward he initiated the move that led to Wirtz's winning goal with a run down the right and a through ball into the penalty area. DFB captain Joshua Kimmich, who played the match with a bandage over his upper lip after taking a hit in the second half, embraced Karl immediately after the final whistle. „He has flair. He does not hide. He brought in a breath of fresh air.” — Pascal Groß via Der Tagesspiegel „Lennart came into the game very well, with the right willingness.” — Jonathan Tah via Der Tagesspiegel Sporting director Rudi Völler offered a brief but pointed verdict on Karl: "Nice, he deserved it."

Defensive errors cloud the win as Ghana test looms Despite the victory, Nagelsmann acknowledged that Germany's defensive performance left room for improvement, with Switzerland scoring three times partly due to errors in buildup play by Nico Schlotterbeck. The national coach declined to single out Schlotterbeck publicly, instead emphasizing the defender's ability to recover within the match. „I thought the overall performance was not bad, even if we conceded three goals.” — Joshua Kimmich via stern.de Leon Goretzka highlighted the team's resilience after twice falling behind as the key takeaway. The absence of FC Bayern München midfielder Jamal Musiala through injury added to the defensive workload, though Nagelsmann expressed hope that Musiala would be fit for the World Cup. Kai Havertz of FC Arsenal returned to the national team after a 16-month absence due to injury but did not score in Basel. Germany's next preparatory friendly takes place on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Stuttgart against Ghana, with Nagelsmann expected to give Karl further playing time and Schlotterbeck an opportunity to rebuild confidence.

[{"dateISO": "2026-03-27", "date": "March 27, 2026", "title": "Germany 4-3 Switzerland", "description": "Friendly in Basel; Wirtz scores twice, Karl makes debut"}, {"dateISO": "2026-03-30", "date": "March 30, 2026", "title": "Germany vs Ghana", "description": "Second World Cup warm-up friendly in Stuttgart, 20:45 CET"}, {"dateISO": "2026-06-11", "date": "June 11, 2026", "title": "2026 World Cup begins", "description": "Tournament starts 76 days after the Switzerland match"}]