The curse of Germany '9' lives on - Fullkrug eighth victim in a row

The German national football team officially unveiled their squad for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, but while the return of Manuel Neuer dominated the headlines, another bizarre story quietly survived the cut once again.

Germany's infamous No. 9 curse is still alive. With Niclas Fullkrug left out of Julian Nagelsmann's final 26-man squad, an almost unbelievable pattern continues: every Germany player to wear the iconic No. 9 shirt at a World Cup since 1990 has failed to appear at the following tournament.

Three decades later, the streak refuses to die.

It started with Rudi Voller, Germany's No. 9 at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. Since then, every successor has vanished before the next edition arrived. Karl-Heinz Riedle wore it in 1994 - gone by 1998. Ulf Kirsten took over in 1998 - absent in 2002.

Carsten Jancker disappeared after 2002. Then came Mike Hanke, Stefan Kiessling, Andre Schurrle and Timo Werner - all swallowed by the same strange cycle. Now Fullkrug has become the latest victim.

The experienced striker, who played a major role for Germany in Qatar four years ago, misses out entirely despite recovering from injury late in the season. Instead, Nagelsmann opted for mobility, versatility and younger attacking profiles as he reshaped the squad around players like Lennart Karl and Jamal Musiala.

Nagelsmann goes all-in with veteran Neuer, his backup gutted

Still, the biggest surprise remains Neuer's dramatic return.

The 40-year-old had retired from international football after UEFA Euro 2024, only to reverse his decision following another strong campaign with Bayern Munich. Nagelsmann made it clear there was never much doubt once the veteran signalled he was ready to come back.

"Everyone knows what kind of aura Manu has," the Germany coach explained, confirming Neuer would immediately reclaim the No. 1 role ahead of Oliver Baumann.

Elsewhere, there was room for Nadiem Amiri, Leroy Sane and Felix Nmecha, while Tom Bischof and Said El Mala narrowly missed the final cut. But in Germany, much of the conversation has already drifted somewhere else entirely. Because once again, the cursed No. 9 shirt has claimed another name.

1994: Karl-Heinz Riedle (did not play in 1998)

1998: Ulf Kirsten (did not play in 2002)

2002: Carsten Jancker (did not play in 2006)

2006: Mike Hanke (did not play in 2010)

2010: Stefan Kiessling (did not play in 2014)

2014: Andre Schurrle (did not play in 2018)

2018: Timo Werner (did not play in 2022)

2022: Niclas Fullkrug (will not play in 2026)