The Germany camp reacted with satisfaction after a competitive tie played in pouring rain. “I can only sum it up in the words of my players: It was an awesome game,” said coach Horst Hrubesch. “It was fun. I’m proud of what the team did, how they fought back and never gave up. You could see we’re lacking rhythm and fluency at the moment. But we are in the tournament.” Germany sporting director Hansi Flick said “It’s fantastic the way the team fought back and levelled twice. You have to say the performance after just five training sessions and no warm-up games is sensational.”
Mexico gained the upper hand early on with some aggressive pressing and the FC Köln keeper Timo Horn was called into action on several occasions. After the break Oribe Peralta put the Olympic champions ahead on 52 minutes with a header that Julian Brandt unsuccessfully attempted to clear off the line. Germany drew level six minutes later through substitute Serge Gnabry (Arsenal) who replaced the captain Leon Goretzka. Rodolfo Pizarro restored Mexico’s lead just after the hour mark but Germany levelled again: A pinpoint corner from Julian Brandt was converted by Borussia Dortmund’s Matthias Ginter to make it 2-2 on 79 minutes. Lars Bender lined up alongside his twin brother Sven in holding midfield.
South Korea cruise to victory
Germany’s next game on Sunday (21.00 CET, live on ZDF) is against South Korea. The Koreans routed Fiji in their opening match with an 8-0 victory including a hat-trick from Seung-Woo Ryu and a penalty scored by Heung-Min Son.
The German Football Association (DFB) has officially recognised Bayer 04 as a centre for the development of female talent for the 2026/27 season. The club was awarded that role on 1 January 2026, and this status has now been renewed.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have sold young defender Andrea Natali to AZ Alkmaar on permanent terms. The 18-year-old Italian was on loan at the Dutch club last season, where he mainly played for the reserve team in the second division.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have loaned new signing Luca Erlein to newly promoted FC Energie Cottbus for the 2026/27 season. This will give him the opportunity to play in Bundesliga 2. The club signed the 19-year-old right-back on a permanent basis last week, on a contract to 30 June 2030.
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Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
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