BRATISLAVA :Four-time world champions Germany have set their sights firmly on winning the 2026 World Cup, coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Wednesday ahead of their first qualifier against Slovakia on Thursday.

Germany kick off their World Cup Group A qualifying campaign in Bratislava before next hosting Northern Ireland on September 7 in Cologne.

Nagelsmann said they were eager to make a winning start in their bid to qualify for the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

"It is healthy to set goals. It is difficult for a team or even an individual to go through life without a goal they are working towards, that is worth fighting for," Nagelsmann told a press conference when asked whether the goal of winning the World Cup was too ambitious.

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