“When they are in the mood and put their foot on the gas, they make it difficult for the opposition, that’s exceptionally good,” said Julian Nagelsmann of attackers Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala after an international against Hungary in November.
“When they look for and find each other, they’re very, very good to watch.”
The coach of the German national football team is not the only one to sing the praises of the ball wizards.
“Both are already world class at their young age,” former national coach Joachim Löw, who led Germany to their last World Cup win in 2014, said recently.
“They’re incredibly creative, strong in one-on-one situations. They’re both capable of scoring goals and have made incredible progress in recent years,” he said.
‘Wusiala’ a success factor
Indeed, the attacking duo have been a key reason for Germany’s return to the top 10 of the FIFA men’s rankings – after an absence of 10 years.
In their 15 matches in 2024, Germany won 10 and drew four, losing just once – in the quarterfinals of the Euros when they fell to the eventual winners, Spain.
Germany also reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Nations League for the first time. Under Nagelsmann, not only have Germany regained their scoring touch, but perhaps more importantly, they display creativity and determination on the pitch.
Wirtz scored six of the national team’s 35 goals and provided three assists. Musiala had five goals and five assists – meaning that the new dream-duo, dubbed “Wusiala” by some media members, were involved in more than half of Germany’s goals.
“We’re not easy to figure out. We have lots of solutions at the ready, no matter what the opposition’s position is,” explained Wirtz.
“Playing with Flo is always fun. When we’re in rhythm and have confidence, we can gamble all evening,” Musiala said.
‘This is a gift’
Both players know what they are capable of and can drive opponents to despair with their carefree and often unpredictable play. Most recently, they wowed not just the fans but also their teammates in Germany’s 7-0 Nations League whitewash of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“They’re brutally good players, the way they solve things in tight spaces with dribbling and with vision. It’s very special to be that far along,” said striker Tim Kleindienst.
“It makes you realize how old you are when you see these youngsters running around. What they’ve already achieved and experienced at such a young age is something special.”
Fellow striker Niclas Füllkrug “described their presence in the team as “a gift,” saying the fans have a lot to look forward to from them in the next few years.
Transfer values through the roof
The strength of their play is also reflected in their estimated value on the transfer market. The widely cited “Transfermarkt.de” puts the current value of both Musiala and Wirtz at €130 million ($136,4 million).
This makes them two of the world’s most valuable footballers. The hype, however, seems to have done nothing to change either player’s character.
Musiala is in a “great environment with his management, with his family. That’s important to help keep your feet on the ground despite all the praise,” explained Germany’s most capped player-turned TV pundit Lothar Mathäus, who has already compared Musiala to superstars Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.
The same applies to Wirtz, the youngest of 10 children in a sporting family. His father, Hans-Joachim Wirtz, is his son’s closest advisor and ensures that his career progresses at the right pace.
‘Like Zidane or Ronaldinho’
The two midfielders have been considered indispensable at their respective clubs. They are both 21-years old, but they have each played more than 150 games in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and in European competition.
Vincent Kompany, coach of Bayern Munich since the start of this season, is full of praise for Musiala, who scored the goal against Cologne that secured his club’s last Bundesliga title in 2022-23.
“He makes the right moves, physically too. He brings a lot of joy to the team,” said Kompany, who has compared Musiala to former superstars like Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho.
“Jamal can become one of those players,” he said.
Xabi Alonso: “Wirtz is a difference-maker”
The same applies to Bayern Leverkusen’s Wirtz.
“We know he’s a difference-maker for us,” said Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso after Wirtz’s two-goal performance against Salzburg in the Champions League at the end of November.
“We can see that this competition is made for him. He is a Champions League player,” Alonso said.
“He has the desire and will to play big games. The bigger, the better for him.”
However, Wirtz is not strictly a one-way player. He runs an average of more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) per game, making him Leverkusen’s hardest-working player.
With ‘Wusiala’ to the 2026 World Cup title?
With Musiala’s and Wirtz’s best years still ahead of them, perhaps it should come as no major surprise that national team coach Nagelsmann responded to Germany’s unfortunate elimination in the quarterfinals at last summer’s home Euros by declaring that his ambition in 2026 in North America would be no less than winning the World Cup.
