Rudi Völler denies excess family visits at Germany's 2026 World Cup camp

Germany's 2026 World Cup campaign ended with a 1‑0 defeat to Paraguay in the round of 16, prompting media speculation that the German squad had been disrupted by a large number of family members staying in the team camp. DFB sport director Rudi Völler addressed the rumors in a Frankfurt press conference, stating that "es waren fünf, sechs Familien mal eine Nacht lang da" – only five or six families spent a night at the camp. He emphasized that while partners and children were allowed to stay, mothers were not, and dismissed the camp conditions as a cause for the poor performance. Völler also remarked that the alleged family presence did not affect the match, noting "deshalb haben wir gegen Paraguay keine drei Elfmeter verschossen." Looking ahead, he said Germany must improve for the 2030 World Cup, which will be hosted by six nations.

The DFB maintains that the family visits were limited and not a factor in the team's early exit, and Völler defended the overall camp environment as "sensationell" despite the criticism.