Bavarian sausage maker creates special World Cup version

German master butcher Julia Boebel, the reigning Weisswurst Queen from southern Germany, has invented a footballer-shaped sausage to mark the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The novelty product, dubbed "Team Spirit," combines two Bavarian staples - Bratwurst and Weißwurst - and is designed to be cooked on a barbecue like a standard Bratwurst.

The Weißwurst mixture is steamed or boiled into the shape of a footballer. The footballer shape is then filled with a Bratwurst ball made from raw Bratwurst mixture. According to Boebel, the sausage footballer tastes well with a buttered pretzel. 

Production: Christine Uyanik, Anja Guder, Ulrike Heil/Reuters