Jamal Musiala rebuilds freedom after injury

Jamal Musiala is still chasing freedom and confidence after last year’s serious leg injury. On 5 July 2025, he fractured his fibula, dislocated his ankle and damaged ligaments against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.

He has five goals and six assists in 1,174 minutes since his return in mid-January 2026, though the old spark is not fully back.

The Germany No 10 spoke about rebuilding the sensations that once defined his game, detailing the mental battle of trusting his body again.

Vincent Kompany checked in throughout his lay-off and, tactically, gives creative players licence to play their way, which has helped Musiala's recovery.

In the 3-0 cup final win over Stuttgart on 23 May, his work-rate reassured but the magic was not all the way back.

With the World Cup three weeks away, Germany face Curaçao, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador in Houston, Toronto and New Jersey, and Musiala feels on the right path, setting high standards and stressing patience.

A coach who faced him says he is not yet fully free but could be near his best in six weeks if Germany progress, while his dribble rate has dipped to 5.3 per 90 from 7.4 across 2020-2025.

Musiala was found guilty over a sports car accident in mid-April 2025, losing his driving licence after travelling at 194 km/h on a 120 km/h stretch, which he described as traumatic, but was grateful nobody was seriously hurt.

The World Cup is a major tournament for Musiala to regain his form and help Germany succeed, and his progress will be closely watched by fans and coaches alike.