Multimedia show with Wirtz and Musiala: national players à la Spider-Man and Superman

AOn Wednesday evening, Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Football Association, stood in the German Football Museum in Dortmund and said: “German football doesn’t have to hide when it comes to talent.” And that’s exactly what German football isn’t doing from now on in the German Football Museum. On the contrary: He presents them in a multimedia show as superheroes with superpowers.

“Superheroes. Jamal Musiala. Florian Wirtz” – that’s the name of the exhibition that has now opened; It will be open to the public from Saturday. Until January 6, 2027, a 26-minute film dedicated to Jamal Musiala from FC Bayern and Florian Wirtz from Liverpool FC will be shown in a continuous loop every day (except Mondays) on two huge screens facing each other until January 6, 2027. Again and again in the film they are stylized in comic-like heroes like Spider-Man and Superman.

To reassure everyone who might be skeptical about the superheroization of two footballers who are just 22 (Wirtz) and 23 (Musiala), both players in the film say in a quote, so to speak, at the same time and very humbly: “I don’t think I have superpowers.”

The parents Hans Wirtz and Karin Groß as well as the mother Carolin Musiala were also at the football museum on Wednesday and saw the film for the first time. Afterwards they were overwhelmed by the visual power, but also reported initial doubts. “Making Florian a superhero seemed a bit strange to us at first,” said father Wirtz, “but then they explained to us that the exhibition was intended to strengthen children so that they believe in themselves.” Mother Musiala added: “It’s about motivating the next generation in football – and Jamal loves the idea of ​​infecting others with this exhibition.” Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz were unable to attend the opening. Wirtz was with the national team in Herzogenaurach, Musiala was training in Munich after an injury. “He’s recovering to be fit for the World Cup,” his mother said into the microphone, earning cheers from the young premiere audience.

In order to leave no doubt about the educational mission of the superhero exhibition, the museum invited several hundred children to the opening. “At our last exhibition ‘Netzer’ we looked back to the 1970s,” said museum director Manuel Neukirchner, “and now we are daring to change our perspective. We have never been so close to the pulse of the times.”

During the course of the film, which was peppered with many action scenes, Wirtz and Musiala repeatedly appealed to the audience to believe in their dreams. “Dare to dream!” says Wirtz in the film. So that no one is deterred by the heroes’ inaccessibility, they break down their supposed superpowers into very earthly features. “Five percent is super strength, the other 95 percent is work and training,” says Wirtz. “My superpower is believing in my dream,” says Musiala.

“We need role models and idols, because children come to football through role models,” says DFB President Neuendorf. A side corridor of the large screening room in the museum is, so to speak, a walk-in comic. At the end of the hallway, Musiala and Wirtz can be seen backwards, looking into the distance towards the horizon, but instead of a setting sun they are looking at the gleaming face of the World Cup trophy. Winning this, they say in the film, is their biggest dream.

So it’s a good thing that there’s a World Cup taking place in the summer and that both of them should play there. Julian Nagelsmann didn’t name his World Cup squad until the end of May, but DFB President Neuendorf said on Wednesday evening: “The two of them are set for the World Cup – I can tell you that.”