Germany star Giulia Gwinn reportedly rejected the magazine as she battled in vain to make the tournament, which starts on July 20.

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The Bayern Munich midfielder, 24, declined to Gwinn and bare it – but team-mate Sophia Kleinherne did let Playboy interview her.

Bild say the magazine were keen to feature a leading Germany player at the start of the yar.

And Playboy Germany boss Florian Boitin said.”Giulia Gwinn is not only an outstanding athlete, but also a beautiful young woman.

“So a personality like her is naturally interesting for Playboy.”

And although it’s unclear why Gwidd turned Playboy down, German stars have painful memories from a previous cover shoot with the magazine before the 2011 world Cup. 

Five players from the National Under-20- squad posed before the 2011 World Cup.

But there’s been a feeling ever since that those taking part – Annika Doppler, Kristina Gessat, Ivana Rudelic, Julia Simic and Selina Wagner – struggled afterwards to progress their playing careers.

It was even claimed that then-Bayern midfielder Simic, now 34, saw a move to Manchester City fall apart due to the photos.

In the end, she went on to play for fellow German sides Turbine Potsdam, Wolfsburg and Freiburg, before spells with West Ham and Milan – yet only won two full caps.

It was also believed Germany’s football chiefs were unhappy with that Playboy shoot 12 years ago.

Current Germany boss Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, 55, even revealed the magazine asked her to appear on the cover in 1989.

And although she said no, she has also rejected Gwinn – at least for this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The 33-cap ace had done all she could to regain full fitness following a cruciate ligament injury last October

And Voss-Tecklenburg described leaving Gwinn out as her “hardest decision”.

The player herself has taken it well.

She told her 535,000 Instagram followers she was “sad and disappointed” – but then “proud” of her recovery efforts.

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