As for the successors of recently retired players, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to take Neuer’s place.
The 32-year-old Barcelona keeper has been given the number one jersey for the games against Hungary and the Netherlands, indicating he has finally reached his goal after a long waiting period.
By contrast, there is no clear-cut successor for Kroos as the deep-lying playmaker. The most realistic choice might be Bayern’s Aleksandar Pavlovic, who withdrew from the Euros squad because of tonsillitis.
The 20-year-old is seen as a blue-chip talent who could mature into the next great string-puller for Germany.
But it would be too much to ask for a player who has made only 21 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern to carry Germany the way Kroos did at Euro 2024.
While Nagelsmann’s team were among the oldest at the tournament, they will be much younger and less experienced moving forward.
Given how Musiala, Wirtz and Pavlovic play and at times even celebrate football, the team could be an exciting prospect for fans.
But the German public needs to show some patience and accept that this new generation may experience setbacks in years to come.
