Germany are four-time FIFA World Cup champions, and the most consistent side in the history of the quadrennial event, boasting a record 13 semi-final appearances and eight final berths. Yet their recent memories are far from pleasant. They exited both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in the group stage. And at Euro 2024, they were knocked out by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinals. It has been 12 years since they last won the World Cup in 2014 in Brazil.
As they embark on yet another World Cup campaign – the biggest one till date, spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada, featuring 48 countries – a question continues to linger: can Germany restore their lost pride?
A number of coaches came and went but could not really rebuild the transitioning team into an all-conquering side – the quintessential character Germany had long carried into the biggest spectacle on the earth.
rocky transition
The transition has been rocky. Ever since Joachim Low, the longest-serving World Cup-winning coach of Germany, stepped down in 2021, the European behemoth has changed hands thrice. Julian Nagelsmann, the 38-year-old coach, inherited a Germany side in 2023 scarred by years of underachievement following the brief yet turbulent reigns of Hansi Flick and Rudi Voller.
Nagelsmann has his task cut out as he takes a young side to the World Cup. Germany have a talented team, but they lack star power and flair.
But that is not what opponents would be most concerned about. It is Nagelsmann’s tactical unpredictability that makes Germany dangerous.
Initially, though, that approach did not really yield the desired results. In the qualifiers, Germany failed to reinstate their attacking sharpness and defensive durability, playing five below-par matches, including a 0-2 loss to Slovakia. However, they doomed Slovakia in the home game, winning 6–0.
Bayern Munich players set the core
Traditionally, Germany’s success at the World Cup hinged on the success of the country’s top club, Bayern Munich, in Europe. Much of Germany’s last World Cup victory in Brazil was credited to Bayern Munich’s exceptional campaign, including a clean sweep at home, the UEFA Champions League win and the FIFA Club World Cup trophy. Seven players from that all-conquering Bayern Munich side were part of Germany’s World Cup triumph at Maracana.
This time, six Bayern players have been chosen by Nagelsmann. This season, Bayern’s overall performance was deep and steady, raising Germany’s hopes of leaving the ghosts of 2018 and 2022 behind.
Needless to say, Nagelsmann will depend heavily on Jamal Musiala, the explosive attacking midfielder who can wreak havoc on opposition defences, along with the club’s core players like Jonathan Tah, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Manuel Neuer. The strength could have been seven, but Lennart Karl, who substituted for the injured Serge Gnabry, has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a muscle injury. He has been replaced by RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo.
Nagelsmann also did well to put his ego aside and select legendary Neuer in goal. They had a frozen relationship until recently since the World Cup-winning goalkeeper had a fallout with the former Bayern coach in 2023. But better sense prevailed, and faced with mounting calls to restore Neuer as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper, Nagelsmann eventually relented. Neuer’s selection saw him come out of international retirement in May, just over two years after his international career appeared to have ended.
German legend Lothar Matthaus welcomed the end of the Nagelsmann–Neuer stand-off, although Neuer’s return proved controversial in its own right.
Oliver Baumann, who did a solid job during Germany’s qualifying campaign, has been demoted as the country’s second-choice goalkeeper despite his strong performances.
“Oliver Baumann had performed well up to that point. He performed particularly well in the national jersey, played a good qualifying campaign, but Manuel Neuer is outstanding,” Matthaus told Sky Sport.
Nagelsmann under scrutiny
But before Germany, placed in Group E, kick off their campaign against Curacao on June 14 before facing relatively tougher opponents Ivory Coast and Ecuador, a question remains. Back home, the situation is not really favorable for Nagelsmann. More and more figures within German football are criticizing him.
Most recently, Uli Hoeness accused him of deviating from his role in the team.
“Our national coach thinks he wins the match. No, the team wins the match,” said Bayern Munich’s influential honorary president.
Hoeness has reason to be frustrated with Nagelsmann, given that Germany’s performances under him have not been particularly impressive. The coach has a winning percentage of roughly 57 per cent, with 16 wins, six defeats and six draws from 28 matches.
limited options
On the other hand, Nagelsmann’s reliance on Musiala is being scrutinized. It is no secret that Musiala’s own form has been below par, and Goretzka was not that influential in the Bayern Munich set-up. He warmed the bench in important matches in the second half of the season. Yet, Nagelsmann gave him priority. And Kimmich will operate in a different position than he does for Bayern. He will be used more as a right-back than a central midfielder. This solution might not yield the desired result. Kimmich, the captain, also lacks the individual brilliance and aura of former Germany captains like Lothar Matthaus, Michael Ballack or Philipp Lahm.
Yet, Nagelsmann would not really be interested in carrying the criticism into the World Cup. He will look for a refreshing start, and one player he will look to shape Germany’s campaign is Florian Wirtz, the Liverpool midfielder. His form and fitness will play a vital role.
Wirtz is a team man. He is not known for scoring goals and providing defence-splitting passes, but he determines when Germany transition between attack and defence. He operates in deep-lying areas and ensures the team function cohesively, bringing control to their play. His sound technique and skills will be an asset for the team. But it remains to be seen how he handles the pressure of playing in his first World Cup.
Nagelsmann possesses a good number of options, with Wirtz, Musiala, Kai Havertz and Karl, all of whom possess outstanding skills, in the squad. Havertz is likely to operate as a deep-lying centre-forward, setting the pace for German attacks. While his technical ability was never in doubt, it is his efficiency that will be watched closely. Germany, however, do not have many reliable options to give their attacking prowess a finishing touch. Niclas Fullkrug and Nick Woltemade have not yet established themselves as classic goal poachers.
However, the World Cup is also the stage where the unheralded draw the attention of the world and rise to unprecedented fame through the power of their performances. Germany have a young side – not the youngest, sitting in the middle of the pack with an average age of 27.54 years – hungry to make the country proud again as a unit. And together, they will be determined to prove their critics wrong. And for Nagelsmann, meanwhile, it is a make-or-break situation. Many years ago, as a young coach, he saved Hoffenheim from relegation. Can he now spark a revival for Germany?
Germany Squad for FIFA World Cup 2026:
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders: Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) (Captain), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Malik Thiaw (Newcastle United), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt).
Midfielders: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sané (Galatasaray), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart), Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05), Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig).
Forwards: Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart), Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
