Said El Mala: Germany's Rising Star and Jürgen Klopp's First Big Call

On a damp Cologne evening that ended with a 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen, the loudest noise didn’t come from the pitch. It came from the touchline, where Lothar Matthäus put his weight behind one of German football’s most talked‑about nearly-men.

“He is definitely a player for Jürgen Klopp. He would also have been a player for Julian Nagelsmann,” Matthäus told Sky, speaking about Said El Mala with the certainty of someone who has seen enough talent to recognise the real thing in an instant.

The talent left waiting

El Mala’s rise at Köln has been sharp enough to force his name into every national-team debate. Nagelsmann called him up for the first time in November 2025 after his breakthrough at Effzeh, a nod to his growing influence and to the promise he shows with Germany’s Under-21s, where he has seven caps and one goal.

And yet, the senior debut still hasn’t come.

The real shock arrived around the World Cup. El Mala was left out of the final Germany squad, a decision that raised eyebrows across the country. Even when Bayern Munich’s teenage attacker Lennart Karl suffered a serious injury in the build-up to the tournament, the door did not open. Instead, RB Leipzig’s Assan Ouedraogo was called in as replacement. El Mala stayed at home.

Matthäus doesn’t buy the idea that footballing reasons kept him out.

“Maybe he didn’t take him because there would have been too much fuss around him,” the record international suggested. “But that’s exactly what we need. A player like him with this pace uses his strengths. He has strengths that you need to be right at the top.”

A wild summer, a sharp start

This has already been a turbulent year for El Mala. A move to FC Brentford was reported and then rejected. Borussia Dortmund circled. In the end, the surprise came from Cologne themselves, who tied him down with a new contract and made it clear he is central to their plans.

On the pitch, he answered in the best way. On the opening matchday against Hoffenheim, he was among the goals in a 2-1 win, a reminder of why so many clubs have been watching him so closely.

Then came a brief halt. Illness ruled him out of the 4-1 defeat at Stuttgart. A knock meant he started on the bench against Werder, only entering for the final 15 minutes. Even in that short cameo, though, the expectation around the stadium rose as soon as his number went up.

Coach Rene Wagner knows exactly what is at stake for his young forward, and for the DFB.

“He has already been involved. There has not yet been any exchange,” Wagner said of El Mala’s national-team prospects. “Said now wants to perform in order to put himself forward. Unfortunately from the bench today, but we have great hope that he gives us plenty of energy.”

Teammate and goalscorer Linton Maina put it more bluntly. With El Mala, he said, “a rocket is still coming off the bench.”

Cologne sit 11th in the Bundesliga with four points, a solid if unspectacular start. They travel to Hamburger SV next weekend, their final league outing before the first international break of the season. By then, El Mala will know whether his wait with the senior national team is finally over.

Klopp’s first big call

The decision lands on one man’s desk. On Thursday, Jürgen Klopp names his first Germany squad.

According to Sky, Klopp is ready to back El Mala. The new national coach is said to see huge potential in the Köln winger and wants to trust him from the very beginning of his tenure.

Klopp had already set the tone at his unveiling at the end of July. He promised an open door for newcomers and underlined just how important wide players will be in his system.

“Because every opponent can make the pitch very narrow. The only advantage you have is for a brief moment out wide. The playmakers of the modern era are out wide,” he said.

Judged purely on attacking qualities, El Mala looks made for Klopp’s football: pace to burn, sharp dribbling, and a direct, relentless drive towards goal. The catch is clear as well. Under Klopp, no attacker survives without work against the ball. El Mala’s counter-pressing will be watched as closely as his stepovers.

Germany’s schedule leaves no time for gentle introductions. The Nations League begins with a trip to Amsterdam to face the Netherlands on 24 September. Three days later comes Klopp’s first home game in charge, against Greece in Augsburg. Serbia in Munich on 1 October and a return meeting with Greece in Thessaloniki on 4 October complete a demanding opening block.

By then, everyone will know whether Said El Mala is just another name on a long list of “what ifs” – or whether Klopp has decided to unleash the “rocket” on the international stage.