Said El Mala's Journey to the National Team Under Klopp

Said El Mala’s rise has moved from Bundesliga story to national headline. According to BILD, the 20-year-old FC Cologne forward is set to be part of the DFB’s new era under head coach Jürgen Klopp, earning a place in an expanded squad for the upcoming international window.

If he steps onto the pitch, El Mala will become the first Cologne player to feature for Germany since Jonas Hector in 2019. For a club that has waited years to see its colours represented at national level again, that matters.

The formal paperwork had yet to land in Cologne’s offices by Tuesday afternoon, but the message has already reached the player: Klopp wants him involved.

Klopp rips up the old script

Klopp has not eased himself into the job. He is going big, drawing on a larger pool of players for a demanding autumn schedule and making early, clear statements about what this “new Germany” should look like.

El Mala’s inclusion underlines that shift. It is a sharp break from the Julian Nagelsmann era in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup. Nagelsmann did call the youngster up 10 months ago, but never trusted him with a minute of action, leaving him out of the matchday squads against Luxembourg and Slovakia and then cutting him from the final World Cup roster altogether. That decision grated in Cologne, where the club felt his form merited more than a place on the fringes.

Now the door is open. Under Klopp, the path to a long-awaited international debut finally looks clear.

Germany’s schedule in the UEFA Nations League offers no gentle introduction: the Netherlands, Greece, and Serbia await. It is a testing environment, but also a stage built for players who thrive under pressure.

From 3. Liga to the national team

El Mala’s story has moved at remarkable speed. Just 16 months ago he was playing for Viktoria Köln in the 3. Liga. Now he is on the verge of representing Germany.

His move across the city to FC Cologne changed everything. Last season he dragged the club to survival, scoring 13 league goals and becoming the focal point of their attack. Defenders struggled to live with his direct running, sharp movement, and instinct in the box. Scouts noticed.

Brighton, Brentford, and Borussia Dortmund all circled in the summer, sensing an opportunity. Cologne braced for a fight. El Mala ended the speculation himself. He chose to stay, signed a new deal through 2031, and took on the number 10 shirt once worn by Lukas Podolski — a symbolic passing of the torch in the cathedral city.

He then backed up the hype the only way that really counts for a forward: by scoring. A goal on the opening day against Hoffenheim set the tone and confirmed that last season was no fluke. His form since has clearly left a strong impression on Klopp and his staff.

Club first, then country

Before he joins up with the national team, there is work to do in Cologne colours. After shaking off a recent cold, El Mala returned with a substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen. He is expected to be back in the starting XI for Saturday’s away trip to Hamburg.

That match now doubles as his final audition before stepping into Klopp’s camp. Another sharp performance, another goal, and the noise around his name will only grow louder.

From Viktoria Köln in the third tier to the brink of a Germany debut in little more than a year — the fairy tale has already written several chapters. The next one might start with a first cap, a first anthem, and the question that will follow him from Cologne to the national stage: just how high can this rise go?