Germany penalty taker

Kai Havertz is our current Germany penalty taker call, with Joshua Kimmich next in line if the order changes.

Kai Havertz is now the best market-facing Germany primary. The strongest live evidence is the 30 March 2026 Ghana friendly: Havertz and Joshua Kimmich both started, and Havertz took and converted Germany's penalty. Havertz also publicly framed himself as Germany's usual penalty taker shortly before the World Cup, while still noting that Julian Nagelsmann had not published a rigid hierarchy. Kimmich remains the clear backup because he converted recent Germany penalties when Havertz was not on the pitch, including the World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg. Germany should still be treated as Havertz first if he starts, Kimmich next if Havertz is absent, subbed, or defers.

If you searched for Germany penalty taker, the hierarchy at the top is the quickest answer we are willing to publish right now. The evidence trail underneath shows why that order makes the cut.

For World Cup 2026, Kai Havertz is the current first-choice call for Germany, with Joshua Kimmich the closest backup if the tournament order shifts.

Squad check: Kai Havertz and Joshua Kimmich are named in the 26-man World Cup squad.

Coach: Julian Nagelsmann Germany announced their final squad on May 21.

A fresh in-match penalty can move this page quickly, especially if it contradicts the current lead or happens with the full-strength tournament pool on the pitch.

For the more conditional boards, one more clean senior penalty is often enough to sharpen the backup line or flip the order outright.

Spot a hierarchy shift, a squad-specific wrinkle or a stronger team signal? Contact us here. If you are close to the Germany setup and have stronger information, that is exactly the kind of update we want.