Said El Mala Joins Germany Squad Under Klopp
Said El Mala’s phone call finally came. Not from a sporting director or an agent this time, but from the national team.
According to BILD, the 20-year-old FC Cologne forward has been told he will be part of Jurgen Klopp’s first Germany squad, a symbolic nod to a new era under the freshly appointed head coach. Formal confirmation had yet to land in Cologne’s offices by Tuesday afternoon, but the message to the player was clear: pack your bags, you’re in.
If he makes the pitch, El Mala will become the first Cologne player to feature for Germany since Jonas Hector in 2019. That gap alone says plenty about how far the club has drifted from the national conversation. Klopp has decided to drag it back in.
Klopp rips up the script
Klopp is going big with his first squad. An expanded list, a congested autumn calendar, and a willingness to back youth have combined to open the door for El Mala. It is a sharp break from the more cautious approach of Julian Nagelsmann in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup.
Nagelsmann did call the youngster up 10 months ago, a gesture that hinted at trust. But when the games came around against Luxembourg and Slovakia, El Mala never left the bench. Later, when the final World Cup roster dropped, his name was missing altogether. The decision went down badly in Cologne, where coaches and fans had expected at least a chance for their rising star.
Klopp has gone the other way. No half-measures, no holding pattern. El Mala is in the expanded squad for the upcoming international window and, this time, the path to a debut is no longer blocked by hesitation.
Germany’s schedule offers no soft landing. The UEFA Nations League brings meetings with the Netherlands, Greece, and Serbia, a run that will test both the established hierarchy and the newcomers trying to break into it. If Klopp wants energy and fearlessness, El Mala fits the brief.
From 3. Liga to the national team
Sixteen months ago, El Mala was playing in the 3. Liga with Viktoria Köln. Now he is on the brink of a senior Germany debut. The rise has been fast, and it has been ruthless.
He arrived at FC Cologne and promptly became their survival weapon last season, scoring 13 league goals and dragging the club clear of real trouble. Those numbers did not go unnoticed. Brighton, Brentford, and Borussia Dortmund all circled in the summer, sensing a chance to snatch one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting young forwards.
El Mala chose a different route. He stayed. Cologne rewarded that loyalty with a contract extension until 2031 and handed him the number 10 shirt, the same number Lukas Podolski once lit up. That is not just a squad number in Cologne; it is a statement of responsibility.
He responded the right way. On the opening day of the season, against Hoffenheim, he scored. The message to any doubters was simple: the shirt fits.
No wonder the new national team staff took notice. His form has not been a brief flash; it has been a sustained run that forced its way onto Klopp’s radar.
One more job before the call-up
Before he links up with Germany, El Mala has work to do in Cologne colours. A recent cold slowed him down and limited him to a substitute role in the 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen, but he is expected back in the starting XI for Saturday’s trip to Hamburg.
That match now carries an extra edge. Every touch, every run, every finish will double as preparation for the biggest step of his career so far. The club that helped shape him will get one more look at their new national team forward before he disappears into Klopp’s camp.
From 3. Liga to the Nations League in barely over a year. The question now is not whether Said El Mala belongs on this stage, but how quickly he can bend it to his will.
