Philipp Lahm: England deadly from standards, US with fresh attacking ideas, Germany must shed mental burden

With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, Philipp Lahm shares his view of three top countries: England, the United States and Germany. The 2014 world champion sees England “almost as strong as France and Spain” and especially praises the fixed patterns and strength from standard situations. The core of the English selection plays for top clubs and was formed in the Premier League. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham carry their teams, while Marcus Rashford is once again a serious option from the left after a strong year at Barcelona, ​​according to Lahm. According to him, the fact that relatively few international players play abroad increases cohesion — something that Germany also benefited from in 2014.

According to Lahm, there is a key in the English focus on dead moments. Free kicks and corners produce 'simple' goals in the heat of North America, with Declan Rice, among others, as an example of pure execution and leadership. He is moderately positive about the control at the back: the defense looks organized, but he does not think Jordan Pickford is among the absolute world top in goal. Lahm is particularly enthusiastic in midfield: he sees Elliot Anderson as a brutal catalyst for the future and he understands that Manchester City wants to sign him. With Rice and the fast Marc Guéhi around, a solid block can be created. Up front, according to Lahm, the quality speaks for itself with Kane and Bellingham, supplemented by options such as Rashford.


Lahm is hopeful about the United States — co-organizer and therefore with home advantage. He sees a team that conveys the tactical values ​​and personality of trainer Mauricio Pochettino: fighting spirit, dynamism and running ability. The chemistry in the group appears strong and the enthusiasm of the American supporters can provide extra energy. At the same time, he lacks real stars at the highest club level. Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards and Weston McKennie have international experience, but he does not currently see clubs such as Milan and Juventus among the absolute top, which concentrates the pressure on a small core. The recent practice performances against Senegal and Germany were encouraging, according to Lahm, especially due to the sharp counters and attacking automatisms. In a group with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, he believes a group win is possible. How far the Americans get after that depends on the defensive stability and the performance of goalkeeper Matt Freese, who is playing in his first World Cup.

Finally, according to Lahm, Germany should be at the front. With Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz there are sufficient creative and scoring impulses; if that trio finds rhythm, the goals will come naturally. He calls Havertz crucial - he says the attacker excelled in the recent victory over the United States in Chicago and played a key role in Leroy Sané's goal at Soldier Field. According to Lahm, the weak spot lies in collective defense. Germany does not always defend as a unit and must play more compactly to prevent defenders from ending up in difficult one-on-one duels.

Even more important is the mental component. Since winning the 2014 World Cup final, Germany has not reached a single knockout match at a World Cup: elimination in the group stage followed in both 2018 and 2022. The persistent label of 'tournament team' is therefore problematic. That recent history is important and must come firstshaken off, Lahm emphasizes - also because Germany was also considered one of the favorites at the time. He decides that it will be important to build rhythm, compactness and confidence from the first match.