With Saïd El Mala and Assan Ouédraogo both in Germany’s squad for November’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers on the back of breakout campaigns, the pair are in line to join the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Günter Netzer and Serge Gnabry on the list of Germany debutants with the fewest Bundesliga appearances under their belt.
El Mala’s inclusion comes off the back of just 10 outings in German football’s top flight – nine when the squad was announced – in which he has scored four goals and provided one assist for Cologne to catch the eye of Julian Nagelsmann.
“Saïd should get the chance to show his carefreeness and easygoingness with us. We have an eye on our U21 players and always want to give them the chance to feature for the senior national team,” said the Germany boss of the 19-year-old forward when announcing his team to face Luxembourg and Slovakia in their final two qualifiers.
Watch: El Mala and Ouédraogo amont the teens taking their chance in 2025/26
Nagelsmann repeated similar sentiments when calling up RB Leipzig’s fellow 19-year-old Ouédraogo as a replacement for Nadiem Amiri, saying, “Assan is doing very well at the moment in the Bundesliga. He is a promising young player, similar to El Mala, who we would like to see in training.”
Although in his second season at the Red Bull Arena, the midfielder only has 13 Bundesliga appearances to his name after an injury-hit maiden campaign but has established himself as a mainstay of Die Roten Bullen’s midfield this term. He also has 17 Bundesliga 2 outings for boyhood club Schalke.
Although uncommon for players with such relatively little Bundesliga experience to get the chance to represent Germany, it is far from unheard of. Current internationals such as Gnabry and David Raum had single-digit appearances at the time of their senior debuts, while the same goes for greats such as Beckenbauer and Netzer.
Although it’s worth noting that some people, like Karim Adeyemi, Robin Gosens, Shkodran Mustafi, Robert Huth and Thomas Hitzlsperger, had never played top-level football in Germany when first capped but had instead plied their trade abroad. Yann Bisseck played three games for Cologne before moving to other countries.
Raum and Fredi Bobic may have lacked Bundesliga experience but had made a name for themselves in Bundesliga 2 with 94 and 62 appearances respectively.
Karim Adeyemi (r.) had spent his senior career in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg before scoring on his Germany debut against Armenia.beide Deutschland Jubel Tor 6:0 Adeyemi. *** 05 09 21 Germany Armenia Germany, Stuttgart, 05 09 2021, football, world cup qualification, DFB Germany Armenia v l Florian Wirtz, Karim Adeyemi both Germany cheering goal 6 0 Adeyemi – Pressefoto Rudel/Robin Rudel via www.imago-images.de
Of the names below who made their debuts in the 1960s, Beckenbauer, Netzer and Rudolf Nafziger got their first caps shortly after Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach got promoted in 1965. Werner Krämer (Duisburg) and Stan Libuda (Schalke) got their call-ups in the first weeks of the new Bundesliga in 1963 but had previously played in the top-tier Regionalliga West. Only Wolfgang Overath of Cologne hadn’t played a senior game prior to the league’s formation.
Fewest Bundesliga appearances at time of first Germany cap:
Michael Rummenigge – 12 Bundesliga games, first cap in October 1983
Karl Allgöwer – 12 Bundesliga games, first cap in November 1980
Jonas Hector – 11 Bundesliga games, first cap in November 2014
Serge Gnabry – 9 Bundesliga games, first cap in November 2016
Zolten Sebescen – 8 Bundesliga games, first cap in February 2000
Fredi Bobic – 8 Bundesliga games, first cap in October 1994
Lukas Sinkiewicz – 7 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 2005
Günter Netzer – 7 Bundesliga games, first cap in October 1965
Rudolf Nafziger – 7 Bundesliga games, first cap in October 1965
Franz Beckenbauer – 6 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 1965
Wolfgang Overath – 5 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 1963
Werner Krämer – 5 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 1963
Stan Libuda – 5 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 1963
Marko Marin – 4 Bundesliga games, first cap in May 2008
David Raum – 3 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 2021
Yann Bisseck – 3 Bundesliga games, first cap in March 2025
Arne Friedrich – 2 Bundesliga games, first cap in August 2002
Karim Adeyemi – 0 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 2021
Robin Gosens – 0 Bundesliga games, first cap in September 2020
Shkodran Mustafi – 0 Bundesliga games, first cap in May 2014
Thomas Hitzlsperger – 0 Bundesliga games, first cap in October 2004
Robert Huth – 0 Bundesliga games, first cap in August 2004
