Germany started a new generational transition after Low's exit from the national team. With Hansi Flick, many essential players including Mats Hummels were left out. Those players could bring experience to a young team that doesn't know what a World Cup feels like. However, Flick has kept Thomas Muller for that job.
Germany have made a silent transition in the last two major football tournaments. First in the disaster 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they got eliminated in the first round, and in the 2021 Euros where the Germans didn't get to the semifinals. So, as the time has passed, Hansi Flick maybe has learnt from his mistakes.
So, for this year's World Cup event, Germany will have a full experienced team that still has a lot of youth in it. For example, Flick selected 17-year-old Jamal Musiala to play, and he is expected to be starter. For the defensive side, Niklas Sule could fit as the right replacement for Hummels.
Why is Mats Hummels missing the Qatar 2022 World Cup?
Despite Mats Hummels didn't announced any retirements from the Germany national team, as other players such as Toni Kroos did, the team managed by Hansi Flick has found replacements for each of the older generation that gave Germany their fourth World Cup title.
In fact, in the Joachim Low's last tournament as a coach, Hummels also made his final appearance as the key defender for his national team. In the 2020 Euros tournament, Hummels scored an own goal in their game against France, which led to a 1-0 loss to the 2018 World Cup Champions.
Mats Hummels played for Germany in two World Cup tournaments, in 2014 and 2018. He was named to the Best XI for the 2014 World Cup for his participation in the succesful Germany run in Brazil. Also, Hummels played 3 major Euro tournaments, as well as U-21 Euro tournament, which he won in 2009.
