Schlotterbeck out of World Cup, Bayern land FIFA payout

Schlotterbeck out of the World Cup

Nico Schlotterbeck is done. The Germany and Borussia Dortmund defender has been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 World Cup with a serious ankle injury (1). Liverpool's window to trigger his €60m release clause has also now closed (1). A double blow.

Bayern collect €2.3m in FIFA payouts

FC Bayern will receive €2.3 million from FIFA as compensation for releasing players to the World Cup (2). That puts them fourth among all clubs globally. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea also feature on the list, alongside Dortmund, Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and Hoffenheim (2). Manuel Neuer and Harry Kane are among the Bayern players who spent the tournament on national team duty.

U19 captain: trust the kids

Germany U19 captain Francis Onyeka wants Bundesliga clubs to hand more minutes to young talents. "Ich finde schon, dass wir sehr viele Talente auch in Deutschland haben," Onyeka said (3). The Leverkusen prospect, currently on loan at SV Elversberg, captained Germany to the U19 Euros final, where they lost 2–0 to Spain. His message comes fresh off the senior side's round-of-32 exit.