Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has received resounding endorsement from a World Cup legend ahead of Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener.
Germany football icon Thomas Müller has backed Kai Havertz to start as the focal point of the national team’s forward line, dismissing suggestions that the versatile attacker should be deployed in a deeper or wider role.
Addressing the uncertainty surrounding Julian Nagelsmann’s attacking setup ahead of their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match, Müller highlighted Havertz’s unique profile as an irreplaceable anchor, demanding that he lead the charge as the undisputed number 9.
“My answer to playing him in another position is ‘no’. Because for me, Kai Havertz is an anchor player for this team. He is clearly set as the number 9, and if possible, he should play every single minute,” The 2010 World Cup winner stated.
Acknowledging the depth of the squad, he added: “If he can’t run anymore, then we can put someone else in. We have [Deniz] Undav and other wonderful players waiting, but Kai is my man!”
Despite officially wearing the number 7 jersey for his country, Havertz is expected to be Brazil’s centre-forward. Although he started his career in a withdrawn role, his catalogue of goals in big matches is elite.
He famously scored the decisive winning goal for Chelsea as a number 9 to secure the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League title and scored the opener for Arsenal against PSG in the 2025/26 final.
How Group E looks for Germany
Germany are finalising their preparations for the Mundial, most recently securing a 2-1 friendly victory over the United States, during which Havertz validated the faith by scoring in the opening minute.
The competition for starting roles in the final third remains fiercely contested, with elite talents like Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and the prolific Deniz Undav, who recently completed a brilliant 25-goal domestic season for VfB Stuttgart, all vying for minutes. Nagelsmann will rely heavily on his attacking depth to navigate a balanced Group E schedule as the four-time world champions look to banish their recent consecutive group-stage exits.
Germany are scheduled to launch their World Cup campaign against Curaçao at the Houston Stadium on Sunday, June 14, before moving on to face the Ivory Coast in Toronto on June 20 and concluding their opening phase against Ecuador in New Jersey on June 25.