Jonathan Tah's Journey to His First World Cup

It's hard to believe the 2026 World Cup will be Jonathan Tah's first. The 30-year-old is coming off the best season of his career and has a vast amount of experience with over 300 Bundesliga appearances. His path to the top though, has been far from straightforward, and that journey is one he appreciates today.

"A World Cup is something special and I'm so excited to be at the first," Tah said in the days ahead of Germany's opener. "I felt how big this tournament is and I'm very grateful to be here. It means a lot. I spoke to my family and friends, and they have noticed that special atmosphere is missing somewhat so I hope German fans bring out their flags soon, and we can of course help with that by playing well."

Tah has certainly been doing that. He is one of the most reliable defenders in Europe, as his first season at Bayern Munich proved. He helped seal a domestic double, and, according to Opta, finished the Bundesliga season with the highest pass completion rate (96%), a record for players since data collection began nearly 20 years ago. That statistic might not suggest he's always the most progressive defender with the ball at his feet, but he's not always the conservative defender. Against Atalanta in the Champions League this season, he completed 24 long passes into the opponent's half, which was a competition record for the campaign. His ability to pick the pass from distance is perhaps underrated.

"Jonah [Tah] has made a huge jump [in development terms] in the last three, four years," said Nico Schlotterbeck, the Dortmund defender who is Tah's central defensive partner for Germany. "He showed his quality in the USA game. He's very strong in one-on-one's."

Slow and steady wins the race

Domestically, Tah rose to the scene as a 17-year-old in Hamburg. After being named Germany's best under-19 player in 2015, the Hamburg native joined Leverkusen and soon after made his Germany debut in early 2016 under then-national team coach Joachim Löw. He was an injury replacement in the Euro 2016 squad, but never played a minute in Germany's run to the semifinals. At that point, he looked destined for greatness but the consistency that makes him so famous now eluded him in the years that followed.

As a result, his breakthrough in the Germany team never really came. He made the provisional 2018 squad, but not the final cut. He wasn't in the squad for the following Euros or the World Cup in Qatar. It was only after helping Leverkusen to an historic domestic, undefeated double that he was one of the first names on teamsheet for Germany's home Euros two years ago. Since then though, he has hit and maintained strong form. After being a mainstay during qualifying, Tah scored his first goal for Germany in March and he enters this tournament as one of the more formidable defenders to face.

Connection to African roots

The son of an Ivorian father and German mother, Tah will have to contend with both hearts when Germany face the Ivory Coast in their second match.

"I'm really looking forward to that game," Tah said. "I grew up in Germany, but through my Dad I got to know the culture. I feel connected to the country. I visited in recent years, saw my grandma and other family members. It will be special for that reason."

For a player who often meditates in the morning, it's clear his mind is as settled as his form even in the face of an emotional game. This is Tah's moment, and his teammates know it too.

"They [Bayern Munich] had an exceptional season, I have a good left foot, we are in form and we don't need to hide from other central defensive partnerships in the world," Schlotterbeck said.

"Jonah [Tah] gives the commands. He's louder than me. He calls the line. He speaks and coaches and if we do it the way we have in the last few games, then we will be top," Schlotterbeck added.

For Tah, being Germany's key defender, the World Cup has been a long time coming.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold