Voeller extends Germany role until Euro 2028
Rudi Voller (R) will continue his partnershipp with Julian Nagelsmann (L) with the German national team at least until Euro 2028 (ALEX GRIMM)
Rudi Voeller, a World Cup winner with Germany in 1990, has extended his contract as sporting director of the national team until Euro 2028, the German Football Association (DFB) announced on Wednesday, continuing his work alongside coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Advertisement
The extension to the 64-year-old's contract was signed at the end of March in the wake of Germany's win over Italy which sent them through to the semi-finals of the Nations League.
"The national team and the whole team within the DFB have become very dear to my heart," Voeller said in a press release.
"The enthusiasm of the Euro 2024 home tournament, and above all the collaboration with Julian Nagelsmann, have played a big part in this."
Voeller was appointed sporting director in February 2023, taking over briefly as interim coach following the sacking of Hansi Flick in September that year.
Advertisement
Under his charge, Germany beat France 2-1 in a friendly. He then formed part of the task force to find a successor to Flick, strongly arguing for Nagelsmann.
The former Bayern coach has already signed an extension to his contract that will take him through to Euro 2028.
Germany went on to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, where they lost 2-1 to eventual winners Spain in extra-time, and now face Portugal in the Nations League semi-final on June 4 in Munich.
tba/smr/bsp/iwd
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
11 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Italy earns much-needed win in World Cup qualifying in parting gift for Spalletti
With a parting gift for Luciano Spalletti, Italy beat Moldova 2-0 on Monday for its first points in the beleaguered national team's attempt to reach the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Spalletti was informed ahead of the game in Reggio Emilia that he would be losing his job as Italy coach in the wake of the team's 3-0 loss in Norway last week, which marked a dreadful way to begin its qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup. Goals by Giacomo Raspadiro and Andrea Cambiaso meant Spalletti at least departed with a victory. Yet the Azzurri remained in a perilous position in Group I, with Norway beating Estonia 1-0 — thanks to Erling Haaland's 62nd-minute goal — to make it four wins from four halfway through qualifying. Italy stayed nine points behind Norway — albeit having played two fewer matches — and might have missed a good chance to rack up some goals to boost its goal difference. Only the top team from each of the 12 groups qualifies automatically for next year's expanded 48-team tournament in North America. The runners-up go into the playoffs — the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia to miss out on the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively, in a humiliation for one of Europe's traditional powers. ___ AP soccer:
Hamilton Spectator
13 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
World Cup host city organizers acknowledge immigration crackdown may impact next year's tournament
NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia's host city executive for the 2026 World Cup says organizers accept that an immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump's administration may be among the outside events that impact next year's tournament. 'There are certainly things that are happening at the national level, the international level, there are going to be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now that are going affect the tournament next year, so we recognize that we're planning within uncertainty,' Meg Kane said Monday at a gathering of the 11 U.S. host city leaders, one year and two days ahead of the tournament opener. The World Cup will be played at 16 stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 next year, a tournament expanded to 48 nations and 104 games. All matches from the quarterfinals on will be in the U.S., with the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. 'Whether it's the Olympics, whether it's a World Cup, whether it's a Super Bowl, you name it, anytime you've got a major international sporting event, geopolitics is going to have a role,' said Alex Vasry, CEO of the New York/New Jersey host committee. Kane said the host committees must adapt to decisions made by others. 'One of the things that I think we all recognize is that we have to be really good at operating within that uncertainty,' Kane said. 'I think for each of our cities, we want to be prepared to make any person that is coming and makes the decision to come to the United States or come to this World Cup feel that they are welcome. We do not play a role necessarily in what is happening in terms of the decisions that are made.' Trump's travel ban on citizens from 12 countries exempted athletes, coaches, staff and relatives while not mentioning fans. 'We allow for FIFA to continue having constructive conversations with the administrations around visas, around workforce, around tourism,' Kane said. FIFA is running the World Cup for the first time without a local organizing committee in the host nation. Asked in late April whether FIFA president Gianni Infantino was available to discuss the tournament, FIFA director of media relations Bryan Swanson forwarded the request to a member of the media relations staff, who did not make Infantino available. Legislation approved by the House of Representatives and awaiting action in the Senate would appropriate $625 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency 'for security, planning, and other costs related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.' The 11 U.S. host committees have been consulting with each other on issues such as transportation for teams and VIPs, and for arranging fan fests. At the last major soccer tournament in the U.S., the 2024 Copa America final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, started 82 minutes late after fans breached security gates. 'Certainly we were not involved in the planning or the logistics for that particular match,' said Alina Hudak, CEO of the Miami World Cup host committee. She said local police 'have done an extensive review of the after-action reports related to that in collaboration with the stadium and so all of the things that happened are in fact being reviewed and addressed and I can assure you that everything is being done within our power to make sure that the appropriate measures are being placed, the appropriate perimeters.' ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
16 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
2026 World Cup: Who has qualified and who can make it?
We are just over one year away from the 2026 World Cup and the battle for qualification is beginning to heat up. And while the definitive list of the 48 teams that will participate in the largest edition of the tournament hasn't been set, we do know the teams that are currently in and which ones are closer to booking their spot. Let's dive in. What we know: 48 teams will participate in the World Cup; 46 of those will qualify directly; the other two will be via the six-team intercontinental playoff; Three co-host teams — Canada, Mexico, United States — are in; Argentina is in after qualifying through the South American (CONMEBOL) confederation; Iran, Japan, Jordan, South Korea and Uzbekistan are in after qualifying through the Asian (AFC) confederation; New Zealand is in after qualifying through the Oceania (OFC) confederation; Who is in (alphabetical order, history of World Cup appearances): Argentina (18 appearances) Canada (2 appearances) Iran (6 appearances) Japan (7 appearances) Jordan (will make debut in 2026) Mexico (17 appearances) New Zealand (2 appearances) South Korea (11 appearances) United States (11 appearances) Uzbekistan (will make debut in 2026) What's at stake this week: Asia (AFC) — Five countries have booked their spots, including a trio of regional powerhouses in Iran, Japan, and South Korea. But there are two surprise sides in Jordan and Uzbekistan who will be making their first ever World Cup trips next year. Australia is on the verge of booking its spot if they don't lose big to Saudi Arabia. South America (CONMEBOL) — Who from the region can join Argentina? Ecuador is on the cusp of clinching a spot, while top teams like Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay still have work to do. Europe (UEFA) — No teams will be able to clinch a spot during this window. Four notable squads – Spain, France, Germany, and Portugal — still haven't begun qualifying due to playing in the UEFA Nations League finals last week. Other heavyweights like England, Italy and the Netherlands have begun their World Cup qualifying campaigns. North America/Central America/Caribbean (CONCACAF) — Aside from the three co-hosts, no one from this region has booked their spot yet. The second of three rounds of qualifying remains underway, but look for teams like Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica to remain in the mix. Africa (CAF) — Another region that won't see any qualified participants just yet, with these teams not playing in June. Egypt has a sizable lead in its qualifying group, as do other contenders like Morocco and Senegal. Oceania (OFA) — This is done and dusted, with New Zealand already in and having this confederation's only direct spot. The tiny island of New Caledonia, officially a French overseas territory, still has a shot as a participant in the intercontinental playoff. The intercontinental playoffs, explained: Ahead of the World Cup, two spots will be clinched in the playoffs that will take place in March 2026. Six teams will participate, with Europe (UEFA) being excluded from this round: 1 Africa (TBD) 1 Asia (TBD) 2 North and Central America/Caribbean (TBD) 1 Oceania (New Caledonia) 1 South America (TBD) The two teams with the highest FIFA rankings will get byes to the two separate finals. The other four teams will face each other to reach those finals. The two teams to emerge go to the World Cup. Region-by-region breakdown: AFC (Asia) How many World Cup teams can qualify? 8 automatically, 1 enters the playoffs Who is in? Iran, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan What's on tap: The qualifying tournament in Asia actually started back in October 2023, and we are now in Round 3 of the phase. In all, 46 teams have participated with now just 18 teams – in three groups of six – left. In Group A, Iran has qualified along with tournament debut side Uzbekistan. Both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are trying to reach the next round to keep their qualification hopes alive. In Group B, South Korea is in and so is debut side Jordan. Iraq, Oman, and Palestine are trying to reach the next round to keep their qualification hopes alive. In Group C, Japan is in. Australia will go through as long as they don't get blown out by Saudi Arabia. Indonesia also has a shot to get through. Here's how the table stands, with World Cup-qualified teams noted by an asterisk (*). Group Team GP Pts W D L A Iran* 9 20 6 2 1 Uzbekistan* 9 18 5 3 1 UAE 9 14 4 2 3 Qatar 9 13 4 1 4 Kyrgyzstan 8 6 2 0 6 North Korea 8 2 0 2 6 B South Korea* 9 19 5 4 0 Jordan* 9 16 4 4 1 Iraq 9 12 3 3 3 Oman 9 10 3 1 5 Palestine 9 9 2 3 4 Kuwait 9 5 0 5 4 C Japan* 9 20 6 2 1 Australia 9 16 4 4 1 Saudi Arabia 9 13 3 4 2 Indonesia 9 12 3 3 3 China 9 6 2 0 7 Bahrain 9 6 1 3 5 For the teams that don't book spots in June, fear not. AFC has two more rounds for the third- and fourth-placed teams, which will be played later this year. Round 4 will consist of six teams, split into two groups. The runners-up go to Round 5, with the winner then heading to the intercontinental playoff. Tuesday, June 10 (all times ET) _____ CAF (Africa) How many World Cup teams can qualify?9 automatically, 1 enters the playoffs Who is in? None qualified yet What's on tap: Nothing in June. Having last played in March, the 54 teams (now reduced to 52) return to action in September. The nine group winners will advance directly to the World Cup, and the four best second-place teams will fight for an intercontinental playoff spot. At the halfway point of the qualification phase, there are plenty of top teams in control of their respective groups. Teams like Egypt and South Africa are in control of their respective groups for the moment. Morocco, the 2022 World Cup surprise semifinals, are also in control in their group. The one wrinkle is Group E – which has been reduced to four teams after the disqualification of Congo and Eritrea – and how that could potentially affect whoever finishes in second place, since it may not have enough points to be considered for the intercontinental playoff phase. Here are the current top two teams in each group. Group First place Pts Second place Pts A Egypt 16 Burkina Faso 11 B DR Congo 13 Senegal 12 C South Africa 13 Rwanda 8 D Cabo Verde 13 Cameroon 12 E Morocco 15 Tanzania 9 F Ivory Coast 16 Gabon 15 G Algeria 15 Mozambique 12 H Tunisia 16 Namibia 12 I Ghana 15 Comoros 12 _____ CONCACAF (North & Central America and the Caribbean) How many World Cup teams can qualify? 6 automatically (3 co-hosts, 3 through qualifying), 2 enter the playoffs Who is in? Canada, Mexico, United States What's on tap: The three co-hosts are in, leaving three more automatic spots for the region. There are also two spots for the intercontinental playoff to be determined. Initially 32 teams began the process, with now 30 teams – six groups of five teams – in the second round of qualification. The top sides from the six groups advance to the third round. In Group A, Honduras is looking to advance. Cuba and Bermuda are the main contenders battling for second place. In Group B, two previous World Cup participants – Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago – are battling for the top two spots. Those two teams won't play each other until later this year though. In Group C, Curaçao and Haiti will move onto the third round of qualifying. In Group D, Nicaragua and Panama are also in control to move on, with Guyana having an outside shot. In Group E, Guatemala is the surprise side and will be joining Jamaica as the two teams that move on. In Group F, it feels like it's anyone's group to win. Suriname currently leads with El Salvador and Puerto Rico on its heels. Here are the top two teams from each group, as things stand. Group 1st – Team (Pts) 2nd – Team (Pts) A Honduras – 9 pts Cuba – 6 pts B Costa Rica – 9 pts Trinidad & Tobago – 7 pts C Curaçao – 9 pts Haiti – 9 pts D Nicaragua – 9 pts Panama – 9 pts E Guatemala – 9 pts Jamaica – 9 pts F Suriname – 9 pts El Salvador – 7 pts Once the two teams from each group are settled, those 12 teams will be placed in three groups of four. Each team will play its opponents in round-robin home-and-away matches. The three group winners advance to the World Cup and the two best group runners-up move to the playoffs. Tuesday, June 10 _____ CONMEBOL (South America) How many World Cup teams can qualify?6 automatically, 1 enters the playoffs Who is in? Argentina What's on tap: It's shaping up to be a fairly cut-and-dry campaign in this 10-team region, but two of these three teams – Ecuador, Brazil, and Paraguay – will clinch. The simplest way for Ecuador to assure its place is to beat Peru, with Venezuela beating Uruguay. Brazil and Paraguay play each other on Tuesday, but need some favorable results to happen elsewhere. Colombia still needs more results to qualify, but it would bode well if they could beat Argentina on Tuesday. Peru and Chile are in danger of being eliminated. Pos Team P W D L Pts Status 1 Argentina 15 11 1 3 34 Qualified 2 Ecuador 15 7 6 2 24 Direct spot 3 Paraguay 15 6 6 3 24 Direct spot 4 Brazil 15 6 4 5 22 Direct spot 5 Uruguay 15 5 6 4 21 Direct spot 6 Colombia 15 5 6 4 21 Direct spot 7 Venezuela 15 4 6 5 18 Playoff zone 8 Bolivia 15 4 2 9 14 — 9 Peru 15 2 5 8 11 — 10 Chile 15 2 4 9 10 — Tuesday, June 10 _____ OFC (Oceania) How many World Cup teams have qualified?1 automatically, 1 enters the playoffs Who is in? New Zealand, New Caledonia (playoff team) What's on tap: The 11-team qualifying tournament from this region, consisting of countries and territories in the South Pacific, concluded in March. New Zealand will head to the World Cup, while New Caledonia will be one of the six teams in the intercontinental playoff. _____ UEFA (Europe) How many World Cup teams can qualify?16 (12 automatically, 4 through a UEFA-only playoff) Who is in? None qualified yet What's on tap: There are 54 (excluding Russia) teams who began the qualifying process in March. Some teams have already begun to play (England, Norway, Poland) while the teams who were ousted in the Nations League quarterfinals (including Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands) will only begin this week. The four Nations Leagues semifinalists – France, Germany, Spain, Portugal – won't enter the fold until September. In all, there are 12 groups of either four or five teams each. The winner of each group will clinch World Cup spots. The 12 runners-up move to a subsequent playoff round, added by the four best-ranked Nations League group winners that did not finish their World Cup qualifying group in first or second place. These 16 teams will then be bracketed to clinch the remaining four World Cup spots in March 2026. European teams cannot reach the World Cup via the intercontinental playoff. Tuesday, June 10 Grp Team P W D L GD Pts A Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 Luxembourg 0 0 0 0 0 0 Northern Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 Slovakia 0 0 0 0 0 0 B Kosovo 0 0 0 0 0 0 Slovenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sweden 0 0 0 0 0 0 Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 C Belarus 0 0 0 0 0 0 Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 D Azerbaijan 0 0 0 0 0 0 France 0 0 0 0 0 0 Iceland 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ukraine 0 0 0 0 0 0 E Bulgaria 0 0 0 0 0 0 Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 Turkey 0 0 0 0 0 0 F Armenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hungary 0 0 0 0 0 0 Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rep. of Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 G Poland 2 2 0 0 +3 6 Finland 3 1 1 1 −1 4 Netherlands 1 1 0 0 +2 3 Lithuania 3 0 2 1 −1 2 Malta 3 0 1 2 −3 1 H Bosnia & Herzegovina 3 3 0 0 +3 9 Romania 3 1 0 2 +2 3 Cyprus 2 1 0 1 +1 3 Austria 1 1 0 0 +1 3 San Marino 3 0 0 3 −7 0 I Norway 3 3 0 0 +10 9 Israel 3 2 0 1 +1 6 Italy 2 1 0 1 −1 3 Estonia 3 1 0 2 −2 3 Moldova 2 0 0 2 −6 0 J North Macedonia 4 2 2 0 +4 8 Wales 3 2 1 0 +5 7 Kazakhstan 3 1 0 2 −1 3 Belgium 1 0 1 0 0 1 Liechtenstein 3 0 0 3 −8 0 K England 0 0 0 0 0 0 Serbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Albania 0 0 0 0 0 0 Latvia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Andorra 0 0 0 0 0 0 L Croatia 0 0 0 0 0 0 Czech Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 Montenegro 0 0 0 0 0 0 Faroe Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gibraltar 0 0 0 0 0 0 Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
