Nico Schlotterbeck

Nico Schlotterbeck is the Borussia Dortmund centre-back named in Germany's final 26 for the 2026 World Cup, announced by head coach Julian Nagelsmann on 21 May 2026. He is 26 at kick-off, listed in the defender group alongside Antonio Rüdiger, and brings 25 senior caps with zero international goals into the squad as of 30 March 2026. Joshua Kimmich captains the side that qualified out of UEFA Group A.

Schlotterbeck's senior route ran through SC Freiburg from 2018, a Bundesliga debut on 9 March 2019, a Union Berlin loan in 2020-21, and a 2 May 2022 move to Borussia Dortmund on a five-year deal for a reported €25 million fee. He extended that Dortmund contract until 2031 on 10 April 2026.

Schlotterbeck is a centre-back: aerial duels, recovery pace, line-keeping and aggressive tackling in front of the goalkeeper. That is the position frame inside Nagelsmann's 4-1-3-2.

His Dortmund years carry the underlying numbers. He posted the highest tackling success rate in the Bundesliga in 2023-24 at 71%, winning possession over 240 times, played a part in Dortmund reaching the 2024 UEFA Champions League final, took a place in the 2024-25 Bundesliga Team of the Season, and was Bundesliga Player of the Month for March 2025.

Germany sit in Tier 2 of Goal Rush at £24m within the game's £200m card budget. The Group E draw — Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador — sets the early fixture window, with Nagelsmann's confirmed 4-1-3-2 and a UEFA Group A qualifying win providing the team-slot context.

At player level, Schlotterbeck adds a centre-back profile to that team slot. He is one of seven defenders in the final 26, with recent club context from a 2023-24 Bundesliga-leading tackling number, a 2024 UEFA Champions League final run with Dortmund, and a 2024-25 Bundesliga Team of the Season place.