Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.

The 92-cap Germany international, who won the World Cup with his country in 2014, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.

Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.

"After thoughtful consideration, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football," he wrote in a statement on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday.

"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity.

"But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football."

Ozil started his career with Schalke before moving to fellow Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, where his impressive form across three seasons led to a move to Madrid.

In three campaigns at the Santiago Bernabeu, the German playmaker won a LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.

He joined Arsenal in a big-money deal in September 2013 and was arguably the best number 10 in world football for a period.

Indeed, the 146 chances Ozil created in 2015-16 remains the most ever in a single Premier League campaign.

After seven and a half years in north London, during which time he won four FA Cups, Ozil joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer after his Arsenal contract was terminated.

Ozil spent two largely unsuccessful seasons with Fener before making the switch to Basaksehir, where he had been restricted to just four league appearances this season.

"It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions," Ozil added in his statement.

"I want to thank my clubs – Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Fenerbahce, Basaksehir and the coaches who supported me, plus team-mates who have become friends.

"Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest friends. They have been a part of my journey from day one and have given me so much love and support, through the good times and the bad.

"Thank you to all my fans who have shown me so much love no matter the circumstances and no matter which club I was representing.

"Now I'm looking forward to everything that is in front of me with my beautiful wife, Amine, and my two beautiful daughters, Eda and Ela – but you can be sure that you will hear from me from time to time on my social media channels. See you soon, Mesut!"

At international level, Ozil started all seven of Germany's matches in their triumphant World Cup 2014 campaign.

He scored 23 goals in 92 appearances, the most recent of those caps coming against South Korea at the 2018 World Cup.

Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.

The former Germany international, who earned 92 caps for his country, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.

Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.

The first international window after a major tournament always offers the chance of a reset, with squads freshened up whether teams have failed or triumphed.

It gives coaches the opportunity to reassess as they build towards the next competition.

In Europe, qualifying for Euro 2024 begins, so there'll be a competitive edge to the majority of the fixtures.

It's an ideal time for newcomers to the squads to assert themselves. Here, Stats Perform looks at the players aiming to do just that.

ARGENTINA

Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the biggest trophy of them all last year, as he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar. Now, Lionel Scaloni will be looking to see what prospects he can bring into the squad as La Albiceleste aim to retain their Copa America title in 2024. Two friendlies against Panama and Curacao should give him the ideal chance to test out some newcomers.

Nehuen Perez is enjoying a fine season in Serie A with Udinese and will be looking to improve on his one Argentina appearance, while Manchester City youngster Maximo Perrone has received his first international call. Perrone joined City from Velez Sarsfield in January, having only made his professional debut last year.

BRAZIL

Like Argentina, Brazil have a friendly – just the one – on the cards this month, though it is against World Cup semi-finalists Morocco. That should prove a tough test for the first match of Ramon Menezes' interim tenure.

With Brazil still reeling from their quarter-final exit in Qatar, and key players such as Neymar and Richarlison injured, Menezes has named plenty of fresh faces in his squad.

Among them is Rony, who has already scored six goals for Palmeiras in 2023, following a haul of 23 last year. Joao Gomes, who joined Wolves in January and has already netted in the Premier League, will also be hoping to make an impression, as will Andrey Santos. The 18-year-old is back on loan at Vasco de Gama from Chelsea but now has a chance to win his first cap.

ENGLAND

There were no new call-ups in Gareth Southgate's squad for England's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, but Ivan Toney was something of a surprise inclusion.

That's not due to Toney's form – only Erling Haaland (28) and Harry Kane (21) have scored more Premier League goals than the Brentford striker (16) this season – but because he is under investigation over an alleged breach of Football Association betting rules.

Toney was included in Southgate's final squad before the World Cup but did not make the cut for Qatar, and has not yet made a Three Lions appearance. Given his inclusion this time around, the 27-year-old, who has averaged a league goal every 140 minutes this season, will be hoping to make his mark.

FRANCE

Kylian Mbappe is the new France captain following Hugo Lloris' international retirement, which has left a spot to fill in goal. Milan's Mike Maignan is the natural successor though has struggled with injury this season. Meanwhile, Brice Samba received his first call-up as one of the three shot-stoppers.

Samba left Nottingham Forest to join Lens last year and the 28-year-old has impressed in Ligue 1. His 78.1 save percentage is the third-best in the division out of goalkeepers to have played at least five games, while according to Opta's expected goals on target conceded (xGOT) model, he has prevented 5.2 goals, the fourth-best total in France's top tier.

Khephren Thuram, son of 1998 World Cup winner Lilian Thuram and brother of France striker Marcus Thuram, is having a superb season at Nice and could look to force his way into Didier Deschamps plans for midfield, especially with the injury issues of N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba.

GERMANY

As hosts of next year's Euros, there'll be no competitive matches for Germany this month, though Hansi Flick's team will be looking to atone for their horror show in Qatar. Six uncapped players have been called up by Flick for friendlies against Peru and Belgium, including Milan defender Malick Thiaw. Kevin Schade, on loan at Brentford from Freiburg, is another newcomer in the forward line.

Marius Wolf has earned his first international opportunity at the age of 27. He has only scored one goal and provided one assist in 24 games this season, so perhaps he won't be the player who goes on to propel Germany to glory in 2024.

ITALY

There's three new faces in Italy's squad, though Roberto Mancini has been lamenting what he sees as a lack of homegrown talent at his disposal. Italy, of course, won the delayed Euro 2020, only to then fail to qualify for the World Cup.

Of the three uncapped players in this selection, Mateo Retegui is certainly one to watch. The 23-year-old, Argentina-born striker holds dual citizenship and plays in the South American nation for Tigre.

Retegui has scored 29 goals since the start of last season. Wladimiro Falcone and Alessandro Buongiorno are the other players who could win their first caps.

NETHERLANDS

Ronald Koeman has given five uncapped players an opportunity to impress in the first squad of his second spell in charge and Sven Botman is undoubtedly the biggest name. The Newcastle United defender was a surprise exclusion from Louis van Gaal's World Cup squad, but the 23-year-old centre-back has been given the nod by Koeman.

Botman has helped Newcastle keep nine clean sheets in the Premier League, while he has made more blocks (15) than any of his defensive club-mates, though he will be hoping to avoid a mistake such as the one he made to gift Nottingham Forest a goal last week. 

Xavi Simons, meanwhile, will be looking to make an impact further forward. The 19-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided six assists in the Eredivisie this season.

SPAIN

Most of the players on this list are on the younger side, but new Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has handed a first call-up to 32-year-old Joselu.

The Espanyol forward, previously of Newcastle United and Stoke City, is one of LaLiga's leading scorers this season with 12 goals. Better late than never, perhaps?

Osasuna's David Garcia is another newcomer, while Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias – who like Joselu has netted 12 times in LaLiga – was called up in place of the injured Gerard Moreno on Sunday.

Jamal Musiala has withdrawn from Germany's squad for the March international break, with the Bayern Munich forward ruled out with a hamstring strain.

The attacker, who has won 20 caps for his country since his debut in 2021, had been called up for the team's friendlies with Peru and Belgium.

But he will no longer link up with Hansi Flick's squad after he picked up a leg problem during Bayern's 2-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Flick confirmed the news ahead of his team's open recovery session in Frankfurt on Monday, and confirmed he would not call up a replacement for Musiala.

"We [had] all hoped that Jamal would be fit, because he has unique qualities," he said. "That's why it's a shame for everyone that he won't be with us.

"We hope he is fit again as soon as possible and that he is back playing after the international matches."

Musiala, who was capped by both England and Germany at youth level before declaring for the latter, made his debut against Iceland in March 2021.

He was a member of their squads at both Euro 2020 – where they were knocked out by the Three Lions – and the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stages.

In his absence, Germany will face Peru in Mainz on Saturday before they travel to Cologne for a clash with Belgium three days later, with Die Nationalmannschaft not required to qualify for Euro 2024 as the host nation.

Hansi Flick has selected five debutants in his first Germany squad since the World Cup in Qatar, while excluding Leroy Sane and Antonio Rudiger.

Josha Vagnoman, Marius Wolf, Mergim Berisha, Kevin Schade and Felix Nmecha could all make their international debuts in the upcoming friendly matches against Peru and Belgium.

However, the new faces come alongside a number of notable absentees with Thomas Muller, Ilkay Gundogan, Niklas Sule and the injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer not included, as well as Sane and Rudiger.

In total, only 15 of the 26 players who were part of the squad for last year's World Cup retain their spots.

"We want to put together a strong squad for Euro 2024 in Germany and it is also important to use the first international matches of the year to invite new players," Flick said about his selections.

"We are very happy that it [international football] is starting again. 

"[We want] to give them [the new players] space and the opportunity to show themselves.

"Every single training session on the way to the European Championship in your own country is enormously important in order to find the best team and to increase the anticipation of the tournament with inspiring performances."

Germany squad: Bernd Leno (Fulham), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt); Armel Bella-Kotchap (Southampton), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Christian Gunter (Freiburg), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Josha Vagnoman (Stuttgart), Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund); Mergim Berisha (Augsburg), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Niclas Fullkrug (Werder Bremen), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Mario Gotze (Eintracht Frankfurt), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Wolfsburg), Kevin Schade (Brentford), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).

Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia has earned his first senior Belgium call-up but there is no place for Axel Witsel in Domenico Tedesco's first squad as coach

The Saints man enters the fray in the Red Devils' first selection following Roberto Martinez's exit at the conclusion of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Lavia, a Belgium youth international, is the only new name among a squad that mixes experience and youth, including the country's most-capped player in Anderlecht's Jan Vertonghen.

But Atletico Madrid midfielder Witsel, who only trails Vertonghen when it comes to appearances for the national team, is an eye-catching omission as Tedesco looks to leave his mark.

Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski has been recalled in place of the retired Simon Mignolet.

Other names earning a return to the fold include Nottingham Forest midfielder Orel Mangala and Wolfsburg defender Sebastiaan Bornauw, both of whom were last capped against Burkina Faso a year ago.

Belgium open their Euro 2024 qualification campaign against Sweden next Friday, before they play a friendly against hosts Germany a week on Tuesday.

The team endured a lacklustre World Cup campaign last year, failing to progress from Group F after defeat against Morocco and a goalless draw with Croatia.

Belgium squad: Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn Rovers), Matz Sels (Strasbourg); Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht); Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Charles De Ketelaere (Milan), Romeo Lavia (Southampton). Orel Mangala (Nottingham Forest), Amadou Onana (Everton), Dennis Praet (Leicester City), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan); Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Romelu Lukaku (Inter), Dodi Lukebakio (Hertha BSC), Lois Openda (Lens), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

The German Football Association (DFB) has announced it will not support Gianni Infantino's re-election as FIFA president.

Infantino is set to be re-elected at the 73rd FIFA Congress in Rwandan capital Kigali on Thursday after no challengers came forward to stand against him in the leadership race.

However, despite Infantino having a clear run at another term in charge, Germany have joined a select few nations to publicly declare they do not back the decision.

The DFB added in a statement on Wednesday that it has contacted FIFA in recent weeks on a matter of issues but has received no reply or only insufficient information.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said: "The DFB will not support the re-election of FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Kigali. 

"We have received little to no substantial information from FIFA in response to several inquiries from our part in recent weeks, especially on contentious issues. 

"However, we can expect FIFA to take the concerns of its member associations seriously and address them. 

"FIFA should become much more transparent and open in its dealings with the national associations."

Neuendorf has previously criticised FIFA for its attempts to restrict teams' political protests at the Qatar World Cup, but he hopes for a positive outcome in future discussions.

"It is in its own interests to explain how and why certain decisions are made and who is involved in them. This has not been the case of late," he said.

"Nevertheless, there was a constructive exchange between several European member associations and the FIFA president on contentious issues today. 

"We therefore remain hopeful that this will lead to an improvement in our cooperation in the future.

"I am interested in maintaining a critical and constructive cooperation with FIFA, in particular with its president, and hope that this can be realised in the coming years."

Infantino succeeded Sepp Blatter as the president of world football governing body FIFA in February 2016.

Thomas Muller will be left out of Hansi Flick's upcoming Germany squad, but the head coach has not "shut the door" on the Bayern Munich forward.

Muller is fourth on his nation's all-time caps list (121) behind only Lothar Matthaus (150), Miroslav Klose (137) and Lukas Podolski (130), while his tally of 44 goals puts him seventh.

A World Cup winner in 2014, the 33-year-old said he would contemplate his international future following Germany's group-stage exit from the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

Muller has been directly involved in 11 goals for Bayern this season (scored four, assisted seven), with only Jamal Musiala (eight) registering more assists for the Bundesliga leaders.

However, Flick revealed the forward will play no part in the friendlies against Belgium and Peru later this month, though the head coach has left the door open for a potential return with Germany hosting next year's European Championship.

"I discussed with Thomas that he will not be called up to the games in March and June," Flick told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

"I want to give younger players a chance with the national team. But that doesn't mean that his Germany career is over or that he won't play a role at the Euros.

"He sees things the way I do. As a national team player, you don't retire. You either get a call-up or you don't, and he's now on hold until the summer.

"Why would I shut the door on a player like that forever? Look at his current importance for Bayern. He's totally important again, and I'm very happy for him."

Flick also insists there are no guarantees that Manuel Neuer will remain his first-choice goalkeeper upon his return from injury, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen or Kevin Trapp likely to be handed opportunities in the friendlies.

The Bayern captain, and Germany's most-capped goalkeeper with 117 appearances, is out for the season having broken his leg during a skiing trip shortly after the World Cup.

"The performance concept is in the foreground," Flick added. "There's nothing set in stone — Manu knows that.

"I am convinced that he will reach his performance limit when he becomes 100 per cent fit again."

Manuel Neuer backed Yann Sommer to succeed at Bayern Munich but questioned the dismissal of their goalkeeping coach after his freak skiing injury.

Germany veteran Neuer suffered a season-ending injury to his lower right leg in a fall in December.

The 36-year-old subsequently underwent surgery, with the setback coming just days after Germany tumbled out of the World Cup in the group stage.

Bayern searched frantically to replace their star goalkeeper in the January transfer window, eventually bringing in Sommer from Borussia Monchengladbach in a deal Neuer has "no problem at all" with.

He told The Athletic: "I put up a picture in our WhatsApp group and apologised. I also called the people in charge, apologised to them and said I'm sorry.

"I'm not a coward who goes into hiding. I explained everything to them, including the background.

"It created a lot of work for the people who run the club and that I might have harmed the team, yes. I didn't want that. I'm the happiest person when Sven Ulreich does well, as he always has done when he stood in for me.

"When Yann was brought in, I told the bosses I had no problem at all with that. I think it's good we have two great goalkeepers. I'm a team player. It's important to me what happens at Bayern.

"I look at the overall picture I don't just think of me and my pain and so on. I have a vocation, I have a job.

"I'm an important part of the team and also an important part of the club and I want the club and the team to be as successful as possible. That's the most important thing to me.

"I've known Yann for a long time and know that he's a good guy – and a good goalkeeper. The club found a great solution. It was important to me that there's someone there and that I don't have to worry."

While Sommer eased Julian Nagelsmann's goalkeeping fears, Bayern dismissed Neuer's long-time coach Toni Tapalovic.

"That blow hit me extremely hard," Neuer added. "Toni was always a team player with us, everyone saw it that way.

"He wasn't working for me for eleven and a half years, but for the entire goalkeeper group, for the coaching staff and for the club.

"We were always able to separate work and private life. I understand that it might sound like I'm not being objective or not believable, but I can really tell the difference.

"For me, that was a blow – when I was already down on the ground. I felt like my heart was being ripped out. It was the most brutal thing I've experienced in my career. And I've experienced a lot."

Bayern sit a point clear of Union Berlin at the Bundesliga summit ahead of Sunday's visit to Wolfsburg.

Rudi Voller revealed his first reaction at being asked to become director of the Germany national team was: "Is there nobody else?"

The former Germany striker and head coach ultimately agreed to take on the job, filling the role previously held by Oliver Bierhoff until he departed after a second successive World Cup failure.

Voller's appointment was confirmed by the German Football Association (DFB), with head coach Hansi Flick among those who welcomed his arrival.

It came after deliberations from a DFB task force that included Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Oliver Kahn, Matthias Sammer and Oliver Mintzlaff, plus Voller himself.

Hans-Joachim Watzke offered 62-year-old Voller the job, and the vide-president may have been surprised by the initial response.

"First I asked: 'Is there nobody else?' I wasn't really convinced," said Voller. "In the end I let myself be convinced."

Watzke, speaking at a press conference on Friday said there were "arguments" between the pair to begin with.

"Then we found each other more and more. In the meantime, a friendship and a total relationship of trust have developed from it," Watzke said. "Rudi is actually ideal for this position."

Voller will begin work on February 1, the DFB said. He won 90 caps for West Germany and later Germany, playing a significant part in the Italia 90 World Cup triumph.

He went on to become head coach of the team that lost to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final.

Voller has held various roles at Bayer Leverkusen but will direct his energy to the Germany job for now.

Germany will host the Euro 2024 finals, and bringing about success in that tournament will be the priority for Voller and Flick. Group-stage exits at the last two World Cups came either side of a Euro 2020 last-16 defeat to England, leaving the national team in the doldrums.

Voller said: "First of all, we have to lay the foundations for a successful home European Championship in 2024, supported by the whole of Germany. We have the players to do this.

"Out of these top players, we want to form a close-knit community, a strong-willed and likeable national team with the clear purpose of winning back the complete support of the fans. Above all, I would like to give plenty of support to head coach Hansi Flick and his coaching team."

Flick said of the appointment: "Rudi is a constant in German football. He has thrilled the fans in both his manner and his successes as a player, coach and general manager.

"At this point in time, with his experience with the national team and his years of work at Bayer Leverkusen, he is the right appointment for the task ahead. My coaching team and I are looking forward to working together with him towards the home European Championship next year."

Lothar Matthaus has urged Julian Nagelsmann to think again and ditch the idea of veteran Thomas Muller playing as a striker for Bayern Munich.

Muller featured as Bayern's furthest man forward in a 4-4 friendly draw against Salzburg on Friday, as the German champions prepare for the resumption of the Bundesliga season.

It remains to be seen who leads the line when Bayern return to competitive action against RB Leipzig on Friday, but Muller is an option for that role.

According to Matthaus, Germany's most-capped player and a long-standing former Bayern player, Muller simply is not suited to the role.

He has mostly operated in midfield, on the flanks, or behind a striker, proving to be an accomplished support act to the Robert Lewandowski goals show in recent seasons.

Now that Lewandowski has departed for Barcelona, and with injuries affecting Nagelsmann's options, Muller might have to fill the stop-gap role.

Yet Matthaus told German magazine Kicker: "You're not doing Thomas any favours, he's in the wrong place up front.

"Let him play where he has his strengths. Thomas belongs behind the striker, like in the past with Robert Lewandowski."

Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is among the Bayern forwards sidelined by injury at present, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting another option as a starting striker for Bayern in the second half of the season.

Muller has just three goals in 15 games for Bayern this term, having hit 14, 15 and most recently 13 in the past three seasons. His shot conversion rate is also down, compared to those seasons, at a disappointing 12 per cent.

Muller, who has 121 caps for Germany, has elected to remain available to his country in the wake of their miserable World Cup group-stage exit.

He is 29 caps behind Matthaus' caps record, and the man in possession of that mark thinks 33-year-old Muller should only stay involved if he is going to play a significant role for national coach Hansi Flick.

Pointing to a case from recent history, Matthaus said: "I don't want to see him in the role of Lukas Podolski: to be there and play as a joker for the statistics in the 90th minute."

Joshua Kimmich joked he may have to play until the age of 45 to lift an international trophy as he rued Germany's dire showing at the 2022 World Cup.  

Having been eliminated in the group stage at Russia 2018 and fallen to England in the last 16 at Euro 2020, Germany arrived in Qatar in the midst of a dismal run of tournament showings.

Hansi Flick's side were left with a familiar sinking feeling as they failed to recover from a shock defeat to Japan in their Group E opener, missing out on a place in the round of 16 despite taking four points from games against Spain and Costa Rica.

Bayern Munich midfielder Kimmich has now been a Germany regular at four major tournaments, and their shortcomings have left him with a "bitter" taste.

Kimmich is back in Doha for a mid-season training camp with Bayern, and asked in a press conference about Germany's chances of winning a major trophy as they look ahead to hosting Euro 2024, he said: "I just have to keep playing until I'm 45, then we will, hopefully."

Reflecting on Germany's World Cup exit, the 27-year-old added: "We had big objectives and wanted to reach something. 

"Eventually, we got knocked out early again. After 2018, the Euros and now another tournament like this, it is very bitter.

"You don't get that many chances with the national team, so this is not something you can just easily forget and move on from because it is what it is."

Kimmich believes Germany could have grown into the tournament had they qualified from their group, but he acknowledges other sides – including eventual champions Argentina – arrived in Qatar in better form.

"I thought that in 2018, many things weren't working, also internally on our team. Against England [at Euro 2020], it felt like a 50-50 game," Kimmich said.

"Last year, I don't want to say everything was great but in the end, those 30 minutes against Japan cost us the tournament. If we had drawn there, we would definitely have progressed.

"We were also missing self-confidence, especially when I look at other teams. Italy before the Euros had a long streak of unbeaten games, Argentina as well [before the World Cup].

"This is something we have to aim for. We can't just start with that once the tournament starts. We should start that in March. 

"We have to win our games, gain self-confidence and gain some self-understanding for our processes. Then we have to also bring that to the pitch and be able to rely on that."

Julian Nagelsmann has elected against discussing Germany's poor World Cup with his Bayern Munich players.

Seven Bayern players featured in Germany's World Cup squad, as Hansi Flick's side failed to progress from the group stage in Qatar.

A defeat to Japan in their Group E opener was followed by a 1-1 draw with Spain, and a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica was not enough to send Germany through.

It is the second successive World Cup that Germany have failed to make the knockout stage, but Nagelsmann – who succeeded Flick at Bayern and has taken his squad to Doha for a training camp – does not believe it is his job to discuss the tournament with his players.

""I thought a lot about how we would address it during the break. I decided on very little," he told reporters.

"The players have the opportunity to come to me. I deliberately left them alone.

"I'm not much of a comforter. It's always a matter of choice. I can talk for half an hour about the bad, sad World Cup. Or I just leave it out.

"Focus on what they can influence – in the present and in the future. I tried to limit myself to that."

Indeed, Nagelsmann hopes the Bayern players instead turn their disappointment into motivation for the rest of the season.

"I can imagine what it means when you are eliminated from a World Cup," he said.

"But sometimes it's night, then it's usually day again. It's day now and there's a lot of light.

"You have it in your own hands to be more successful than you were at the World Cup.

"We, as the coaching staff, need to create the foundation for the players to perform at their best.

"Frustration and disappointment can also be the biggest motivating factor. I sense they are in a good place, they're training well and are fit."

While Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and the rest of Bayern's Germany players endured a difficult World Cup, Dayot Upamecano established himself as a key part of France's defence.

Upamecano made a spectacular block as France drew 3-3 with Argentina in a thrilling final, only for Les Bleus to lose on penalties, but Nagelsmann has been impressed with the 24-year-old's development over the course of the campaign.

"Upamecano has been solid, as he was in the first half of the season, when he developed well," Nagelsmann said.

"He was also on top form in training. He had a good World Cup and he was one of the best defenders. We need him in top form."

Enzo Fernandez is the epitome of the type of footballer Germany must look to produce, according to RB Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl.

Benfica midfielder Fernandez had an outstanding World Cup for Argentina and has since been linked with a host of major European clubs, prompting speculation of a move in the January transfer window.

The 21-year-old was an all-action figure in the team that carried off the trophy, and Eberl said Fernandez and Rodrigo de Paul were players whose industry caught the eye.

Eberl, previously sporting director at Borussia Monchengladbach for 14 years, is considered one of German football's smartest thinkers.

He wants to see leaders produced and believes that character trait can be as significant as skill.

"We should have this heart for the cause more into focus again. We have recently moved away a bit from the German virtues such as robustness and assertiveness," Eberl said.

In an interview with Kicker magazine, Eberl spoke of the players who are approaching the end of their international careers.

With Germany hosting Euro 2024, this is a moment where the pressure is on to deliver a winning team, and the World Cup group-stage exit suggests coach Hansi Flick is a long way off establishing such a group.

Eberl said: "I think we have outstanding football players in Germany, but we also know that we will lose very important players like Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Ilkay Gundogan.

"We need players like Enzo Fernandez or Rodrigo de Paul with the Argentines. Good footballers who act with total dedication and the ability to work as part of a team. We've lost a bit of that greed to win every single duel."

Among players from teams who reached the World Cup knockout stage and contested at least 60 duels, only Croatia's Mateo Kovacic in the select group of 16 bettered Fernandez's 59 per cent success rate (40 of 68 duels won).

Germany goalkeeper Neuer broke his leg in a skiing accident after the World Cup and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. He is 36, while his Bayern Munich team-mate Muller is 33 and Manchester City midfielder Gundogan is 32. They are in the twilight of their international careers, and the new generation has yet to show it can deliver the success Germany expects.

Eberl added: "Time is clearly against us, because we will only see in the next 10 to 15 years what we have missed.

"We have to get more boys into football again. And one question would be: does it make sense to have youth academies up to under-eight or should we leave the boys in their clubs and start with the junior academies later?"

Former Germany defender Per Mertesacker insists he has his hands full at Arsenal and is not considering the possibility of his country coming calling.

Mertesacker is the academy manager at Arsenal, but he has been tipped as a "perfect man for the job" as Germany seek a new national team director.

That was the view expressed this week by Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, a former international team-mate of Mertesacker.

Mertesacker, speaking to German broadcaster Sky Sport on Saturday at a charity ice hockey game benefitting his Per Mertesacker Foundation, spoke of his enjoyment of his role in England.

The national team role has become vacant after long-time incumbent Oliver Bierhoff moved on after Germany's second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit.

"I'm super happy in England and I'm in charge of the youth academy. There's a lot to do there," said Mertesacker, who won 104 caps for Germany. 

"We're very committed and try to introduce young talent, but also give them certain values. That's very, very important to me."

Regarding the DFB position, he added: "I haven't been spoken to yet, so I don't want to speculate. We're all interested in German football and in having a lot to offer in the future."

Mertesacker, 38, retired from playing at the end of the 2017-18 season after seven campaigns with Arsenal, and immediately took up his current role.

Germany's football association, the DFB, recently announced a new advisory group to help the national team bounce back from their latest dismal World Cup performance.

It includes ex-Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, BVB adviser Matthias Sammer, Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff, current Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn and long-time Bayer Leverkusen managing director Rudi Voller.

The group will be led by DFB president Bernd Neuendorf and vice-chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke.