Joshua Kimmich has confirmed he intends to continue playing for Germany despite the national team’s early exit from the World Cup, rejecting suggestions he should follow head coach Julian Nagelsmann out of the exit door. The Bayern Munich midfielder remains defiant following the round of 32 defeat to Paraguay, yet former international Dietmar Hamann has launched a scathing attack on the 31-year-old’s tournament record and urged him to retire from duty.
Hamann’s Tournament Assessment
Hamann, speaking on the TOMorrow Business podcast (via Sport.de), delivered a brutal assessment of Kimmich’s contributions across five major tournaments. “He has now played five tournaments in a position of responsibility. And he has failed five times,” Hamann stated. The former Liverpool midfielder highlighted that Kimmich has never guided Germany beyond the quarter-final stage in international competition.
The critique centred on the Bayern captain’s inability to translate club form onto the global stage. Hamann suggested that voluntarily stepping away would demonstrate genuine accountability rather than defiance. “This has nothing to do with running away, but with taking responsibility,” he explained. “From a player like that, I expect him to take responsibility and say: I tried everything – and you can’t blame him for that – I didn’t succeed, now I’m stepping away.”
Hamann admitted he would view such a decision as a significant gesture. “I would think extremely highly of that,” he said. “It would be a statement, and things need to change. We cannot continue like this.”
International Future in Doubt
Should Hamann succeed Nagelsmann as Germany coach, he confirmed Kimmich would face immediate exclusion. “I wouldn’t call him up anymore. Other players must be given a chance. I’m of the opinion that Kimmich should no longer play a role in the national team,” he declared.
The former midfielder also disputed Kimmich’s elite status, arguing: “I don’t see Kimmich as a world-class player. He is a very good player. But he is not world-class in central midfield. Is he world-class as a right-back? No, he is a good player there too.”
Bayern Munich Criticism
Hamann extended his criticism to Bayern Munich, describing German players at the club as “passengers” compared to their decisive foreign teammates. He identified Olise, Díaz and Kane as the match-winners, contrasting them with Tah and Pavlović alongside Kimmich, whom he characterised as merely accompanying the star performers.
Germany’s defeat to Paraguay marked another premature tournament conclusion for the four-time world champions, intensifying scrutiny on senior figures within the squad. While Kimmich maintains his commitment to the national team project, Hamann’s intervention raises fresh questions about the leadership direction required as the DFB seeks a new head coach.