Germany captain Joshua Kimmich on Tuesday opened up about a snake problem in their base camp in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “In Germany, you worry about tactics, injuries, and your next opponent. Here, you also have to think about what might be hiding in the grass,” Kimmich said. According to BBC, the snake that the Germans encountered was a copperhead, a venomous type found in the state of North Carolina. “We saw a snake yesterday, we were told it was venomous. If you get bitten, you have to go to the hospital. I don’t think you’ll die, but it’s certainly dangerous. I have the feeling that if you step on a snake like that, it can end badly. That’s why we’re trying to keep our distance from animals here. I have respect for the people here. In Germany, I have the feeling there aren’t so many dangerous animals. Once you hear what kind of snake it is and what can happen if you’re bitten, it stops being funny very quickly,” Kimmich said. A week ago, the Swiss who had their base at San Diego’s Jewish Academy, had also complained about a snake problem. The adjoining area of the base camp was reportedly infested by venomous reptiles, making training sometimes a scary proposition. According to swissinfo.ch, the players have been warned about the danger. Joshua Kimmich: “Dün zehirli bir yılan gördük. Isırılması durumunda hastaneye gitmek gerekiyor; öldürmese bile oldukça tehlikeli bir durum. Almanya’da pek tehlikeli hayvan yok ama burada durum farklı. Yanlışlıkla bir yılanın üzerine basarsanız işin sonu çok kötü bitebilir. Bu… pic.twitter.com/8gbqgiGup4 — Peşindeyiz Galatasaray! (@PesindeyizApp) June 16, 2026 It’s a huge area around the training ground and is marked with dark red stripes and the words: ‘Beware of snakes.’ The players would not like to wander into the marked area to collect a ball or as a shortcut. Switzerland was not the only team that was warned about the presence of snakes in and around their training camp. Norway, featuring superstars like Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, were based at Grandover Resort & Spa in Greensboro, North Carolina. They had been advised not to provoke snakes, which are “very common” in the area. “Copperhead snakes are found throughout the eastern and southeastern United States and are very common in Greensboro. Do not provoke them, try to pick them up or disturb them in any other way – it is extremely dangerous to do anything other than leave them alone,” the city’s website states, which made many Norwegian footballers wary.
Germany the latest team to encounter snake problem in the World Cup
