Kevin Schade is once again having a remarkable Premier League season with Brentford FC. The winger is therefore calculating his World Cup chances – and has nothing but praise for captain Joshua Kimmich.
When the squad for next summer’s World Cup finals is announced in May 2026, Kevin Schade hopes to see his name on the list. “It’s realistic that I have a chance to be there,” the national team player said in an interview with Sky Sport: “But I’m not thinking about it too much right now. I just have to perform. That’s the be-all and end-all – and the only way I can influence it.”
Schade regularly promotes himself with his performances in the Premier League. In 22 of his 24 league appearances this season, the lightning-fast winger has been in the starting lineup for Brentford, who are in a strong seventh place behind champions Liverpool. In addition to scoring six goals himself, the former Freiburg player also set up three. On December 27, 2025, Schade also made history: in a 4-1 home win against Bournemouth, he became the first German player ever to score his second hat trick in England’s top flight. “When I scored my first hat trick, I was told the names and then it was pretty crazy,” Schade admits openly: “To now be the sole record holder with two hat tricks makes me very proud, of course.”
“There’s definitely something to learn from that.”
He has now scored 19 goals in 91 Premier League games. That’s one reason why Schade already has five senior international caps to his name. He played his last game for the national team in November, in a 2-0 away win in Luxembourg.
Schade enjoys being invited to play for the national team, not least because of the quality of his teammates. “It’s a step up, I’d say,” he explains, referring to his club teammates. At the same time, Schade can “learn” from leading players such as Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry.
He is particularly impressed by Kimmich’s approach, “who wants to win every game even during the warm-up, who after so many years still has such a hunger to win everything – that’s remarkable. You can definitely learn something from that.”
Despite his own unbridled sporting ambition, Kimmich also fulfills his role as DFB captain in an absolutely exemplary manner: “He really wants to make sure that everyone feels comfortable, that it’s a community, that everyone is pulling in the same direction. He takes care of everything.”
“There was counterattack after counterattack after counterattack”
Schade is familiar with the feeling of flying somewhat under the radar abroad. “I understand that people tend to focus more on players in Germany because they are closer, let’s say, closer to the fans,” explains the 24-year-old, before adding: “But I just think: England is the best league in the world, so it’s actually even harder to get started there.”
The intensity of the Premier League in particular makes soccer on the island so challenging. “I think the most exhausting game I’ve ever played in my life was against Liverpool. Last year, when they won the championship. There was counterattack after counterattack after counterattack. The intensity, a lot of kick-and-rush, especially with our own style of play; and when you have a team like Liverpool that plays similarly, it’s very exhausting.”
But at least Schade would be well prepared for intense World Cup matches.