Boost from Lionel Messi: Will the ‘street footballer’ break through with Germany at the third attempt?

Clear hierarchies have emerged across most positions in Jürgen Klopp's Germany team. The attacking flanks are another matter. Dribbling king Brajan Gruda is now in the frame.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the first choice in goal for now, as Germany coach Jürgen Klopp confirmed ahead of the upcoming internationals in Serbia on Friday and against the Netherlands on Tuesday. Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck look set to form the centre-back pairing. On the defensive flanks, Nathaniel Brown and Philipp Treu, the big winner of the first round of internationals under Klopp, are in pole position.

In the three-man midfield, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof and Felix Nmecha are competing for playing time alongside captain Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz. Once he has recovered, Jamal Musiala is also likely to join that contest. Kai Havertz remains the clear first choice at centre-forward, even if momentum currently favours the returning Niclas Füllkrug, who is already 33.

That leaves the attacking flanks in Klopp's beloved 4-3-3 system. Both spots appear up for grabs, not just in the near future but looking further ahead to Euro 2028.

Klopp initially turned to Kevin Schade and Karim Adeyemi in his first round of internationals, against the Netherlands (1-1) and Greece (0-1), but both largely disappointed. Adeyemi missed a gilt-edged chance, while his poor defensive work also drew criticism.

After strong starts to the season, Adeyemi and Schade have seen their club form dip recently. Adeyemi has now gone five competitive matches without a goal contribution for FC Barcelona, and Schade seven for FC Brentford. Neither made Klopp's 24-man squad this time.

Nor did Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl and Said El Mala do much to advance their cases in the subsequent matches against Serbia (2-0) and Greece again (0-0). Only debutant Derry Scherhant of SC Freiburg truly impressed and should get the nod ahead of El Mala on the left for now. El Mala is back in the squad, as is Karl, while Gnabry misses out through injury.

Karl has enjoyed a remarkable upturn in form after a poor start to the season that included a public rebuke from Uli Hoeneß. He scored important goals for Bayern Munich against Atletico Madrid and 1. FSV Mainz 05. In the Germany team, he will face an intriguing contest with RB Leipzig's Brajan Gruda on the right wing during the upcoming round of internationals.

Provided injury does not intervene, the 22-year-old will make his Germany debut at the third attempt. Former Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had already brought in the then-emerging Mainz player, along with Rocco Reitz, as an additional training player ahead of Euro 2024. Gruda made the squad for a friendly against Ukraine but did not get on the pitch.

He then moved to Brighton & Hove Albion in England for €31.5 million, but never progressed beyond squad-player status there. Gruda joined RB Leipzig on loan last winter and has developed rapidly since. Klopp had wanted to call him up in September, but a strained abdominal muscle forced him to withdraw at short notice.

Now comes the third attempt, with plenty of momentum behind him, thanks in part to Lionel Messi. Gruda's stated idol had included him on his list of the world's ten biggest talents in 2025, alongside, for example, Como 1907's Nico Paz. All ten talents, like Messi, are under contract with Adidas.

That selection earned Gruda a pair of the strictly limited new Messi boots. The superstar wore the "F50 Messi El Ultimo Tango" model in his farewell match for Argentina against Benin in October. Exactly 208 pairs exist, a nod to his 208 international appearances. They were subsequently sent to influencers, friends, long-standing associates and the chosen talents, including Gruda.

"The boots are simply a dream. Messi shaped my whole childhood," Gruda enthused after receiving the package. Rather than put the boots on display unworn, he immediately put them to use. He wore them for the first time in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven in mid-October, and promptly scored his first goal in the competition. Gruda has since provided five assists and become a dribbling king.

Against FC Augsburg on Saturday, Gruda provided two superb assists in a 5-2 win and completed ten of his eleven dribbles. No other player has managed more in a match this Bundesliga season. No one in a Leipzig shirt has done so since detailed data collection began.

Gruda has completed 36 dribbles in total this season. Only FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal (49), Yan Diomande (37) and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe (37) have surpassed that figure in Europe's top five leagues.

"He's something of a street footballer," Klopp said. "Just a brilliant player who loves to take people on. He hasn't yet fulfilled his potential, but he has shown a lot of positive signs." In the Germany team, Gruda, like 17-year-old Wael Mohya, who has been called up for the first time, now has the chance to stake his claim in a wide-open contest for places on the wings.