Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi has been left out of Germany's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Julian Naglesmann announced his final, 26-man squad for the tournament yesterday.
Adeyemi was having a good season with the BVB earlier on before losing his position in the starting XI and playing only a limited amount of time.
A late injury bout only served to exacerbate his situation further and it all amounted to getting overlooked for next month's showpiece, a prospect that seemed unthinkable a few months ago.
During the first 18 games of the 2025-26 Bundesliga season, he scored five goals and made two assists, while also contributing four goals in the league phase of their Champions League run.
Suffice to say, Adeyemi was one of Dortmund's chief figures in their envious attacking vanguard. His consistency outshined his discplinary issues on and off the field.
But something changed as the second half rolled in. He lost his place in the XI and was primarily reduced to late substitute appearances.
In other words, after starting 16 of their games in the first five months of the season, the German made only six appearances in the XI thereafter.
He was played in 17 more games, but clocked under 600 minutes of action. During this time, he netted three more goals in all competitions and two assists too, including one on the final matchday against Werder Bremen. But it wasn't enough to convince Julian Naglesmann to call him up to his German squad for the World Cup as the former Bayern Munich coach omitted him.
The writing was on the wall when Adeyemi was dropped from their March friendlies to Switzerland and Ghana. His inability to turn his form round eventually proved costly as the 24-year-old is now forced to watch his nation compete for the golden trophy from home instead of contributing to their pursuit on the field.
Another major issue facing Adeyemi is his future at the club. His unsportsmanlike conduct such as throwing a bottle at the substitutes bench in a fit of rage after being subbed or attempting to sneak off to dressing room while the match was still in progress has already left a bad impression on the club, who could contemplate on offloading him this summer to raise more funds.
Under contract with Dortmund until June 2027, Adeyemi is currently valued at €40 million and has been linked with PSG lately.
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