The German camp in Winston-Salem has been talking a lot about team spirit, and now there is a playful example behind that talk. According to a Zalando video format shared on YouTube and reported by www.bild.de, the DFB players even played hide-and-seek at their team hotel in North Carolina.
That detail came up when Kai Havertz and Nick Woltemade spoke with former pros and creator personalities Niklas-Wilson Sommer and Sidney Eweka about the tournament. What sounds like a childlike game has clearly become one more way to keep the mood light inside the squad at The Graylyn Estate.
Hotel fun becomes part of the camp routine
Woltemade explained that the group once played hide-and-seek with around 12 people after first spending time on the card game “Werwolf.” He said they then decided, “Komm, gut, reicht jetzt,” before returning to camp and starting the game outdoors.
The setup was simple but unusual for a national team camp. Two players searched, closed their eyes for two minutes, and then had seven minutes to find the others in the open air.
| Detail | What the video revealed | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Location | The Graylyn Estate, North Carolina | German World Cup quarter in Winston-Salem |
| Activity | Hide-and-seek | Played outside after “Werwolf” |
| Group size | About 12 people | Included DFB players and guests |
| Rules | Two minutes eyes closed, seven minutes to search | Open-air version |
Havertz and Woltemade laughed off the memory
The conversation clearly amused everyone involved, and fans also reacted warmly in the YouTube comments. One wrote, “I thought I misheard? You played hide and seek!”, while another said, “Oh my god, playing hide and seek, I am honestly somehow jealous.”
Havertz added another detail from the game, saying Nick once hid behind stacked chairs but had his head sticking out above them. Woltemade called the whole thing “really funny,” and Havertz agreed that the players were simply acting like kids again.
He compared it to being 14 years old and Woltemade brought up class trips, when staying awake mattered more than going to sleep. For the squad, the moment was less about competition and more about shared fun away from the pitch.
That may be the most telling sign of the mood in the German camp right now. But when Paraguay arrive on Monday evening, the players will need to make sure the only thing hidden is the ball, not the team itself.
