Kimmich said that he and his teammates cherish the opportunity to participate in the World Cup.

The second round of Group E matches in the 2026 World Cup will feature a key game, with Julian Nagelsmann leading Germany to the BMO Stadium to challenge Ivory Coast. Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich stated that he and his teammates cherish the opportunity to participate in the World Cup and are highly motivated to help the team achieve something special.

In the last round of matches, Germany defeated Curaçao 7-1 after goals from Nmecha, Schlotterbeck, Havertz, Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Windav.

Reflecting on the previous performance against Curaçao, German captain Joshua Kimmich said, "We did encounter some difficulties for about five minutes after the opponent scored, but we maintained firm control of the situation and could have scored more goals. As seen in the previous matches of this tournament, even against relatively weaker opponents, it is by no means easy to win so easily and gain such a large lead."

When discussing Ivory Coast, who are also in Group E, and their upcoming match against Ecuador, Kimmich said, "I think both teams are physically very strong, but their playing styles are completely different. Ecuador has a very solid defensive system, while Ivory Coast has some very entertaining attacking players, who are particularly good at transitioning between attack and defense."

“Ivory Coast winger Jan Diomande’s development has been incredible. David Raum mentioned him to me very early in the season. Despite some ups and downs for Leipzig, he has still performed exceptionally well and contributed many impressive performances.”

Kimmich pointed out, "His dribbling style is very special and reminds me of Kingsley Coman when he played for Bayern Munich. He can accelerate quickly, stop suddenly to make the defender lose his balance, and then accelerate again."

To ensure the overall formation remains in its best condition

"For a team that frequently controls possession, defense is always the most important foundation. I think we have a high level of ability in possession, but it's equally important to ensure a solid defense. If we can do that well, quickly get back down and limit the opponent's counter-attacks, then we will be able to gain more possession time."

Kimmich added, "This is equally crucial against Ivory Coast; we must remain focused at all times. Compared to previous matches, we need to address dangerous situations earlier and strengthen communication to ensure our overall formation remains at its best."

"On the offensive end, I think even when facing eight defenders and we only have five or six players involved in the attack, we still have plenty of players who can create chances. The key is to find a balance between attack and defense. Overall, we've seen the game become increasingly difficult because those so-called weaker teams are constantly improving, both technically and tactically."

Furthermore, Kimmich continued, "I think the team had a very ideal squad structure during the 2018 World Cup. At that time, the team had both World Cup-winning members and hungry young players. But in the end, it didn't help us much. This time, apart from Neuer, none of the players in our squad have won any major honors with the national team."

"Therefore, everyone has a special hunger and a strong motivation to achieve great things. You can feel that many players really cherish the opportunity to be here."

Kimmich also shared, "We often talk about watching our national team play in the World Cup when we were kids, and now we are players on the World Cup stage ourselves. Although we may not always know how the fans view us, we all know that this is an extremely special thing."

"For a professional player, nothing is more wonderful than participating in the World Cup."

Image source: Internet