Thehistory of the Germany national football team began in 1908, whenGermany played its first international match. Since then, theGermany national football team has been one of the most successful football teams, winning four World Cups and three European Championships.
On 18 April 1897, an early international game on German soil was played inHamburg when a selection team from theDanish Football Association defeated a selection team from theHamburg-Altona Football Association, 5–0.[10][11]
Between 1899 and 1901, prior to the formation of a national team, there were five unofficial international matches between different German and English selection teams, which all ended as large defeats for the German teams. Eight years after the establishment of theGerman Football Association (DFB), the first official match of the Germany national football team[12] was played on 5 April 1908, againstSwitzerland inBasel, with the Swiss winning 5–3.[6] Coincidentally, the first match afterWorld War I in 1920, the first match afterWorld War II in 1950 when Germany was still banned from most international competitions, and the first match in 1990 with former East German players were all against Switzerland as well. Germany's first championship title was even won in Switzerland.
At that time the players were selected by the DFB, as there was no dedicated coach. The first manager of the Germany national team wasOtto Nerz, a school teacher fromMannheim, who served in the role from 1926 to 1936.[13] The German FA could not afford travel to Uruguay for the first World Cup staged in 1930 duringthe Great Depression, but finished third in the1934 World Cup in their first appearance in the competition. After a poor showing at the1936 Olympic Games in Berlin,Sepp Herberger became coach. In 1937 he put together a squad which was soon nicknamed theBreslau Elf (the Breslau Eleven) in recognition of their 8–0 win over Denmark in the then German city ofBreslau,Lower Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland).[14][15]
After Austria became part of Germany in theAnschluss of March 1938, that country'snational team – one of Europe's better sides at the time due to professionalism – was disbanded despite having already qualified for the1938 World Cup. As required byNazi politicians, five or six ex-Austrian players, from the clubsRapid Vienna,Austria Vienna,First Vienna FC, were ordered to join the all-German team on short notice in a staged show of unity orchestrated for political reasons. In the 1938 World Cup that began on 4 June in France, this "united" German team led 1–0 against Switzerland, but managed only a 1–1 draw. After leading 2–0 in the replay, held again in Paris, they lost 2–4 in front of a hostile crowd. That early yet undefeated (the replay being considered a tie-breaker like a penalty shootout) exit in the round of 16 stood as Germany's worst ever World Cup result (excluding the 1930 and 1950 tournaments in which they did not compete), until Germany's group stage exit at the2018 FIFA World Cup. They appeared in all other World Cups and advanced to the final eight, or better.
During World War II, the team played over 30 international games between September 1939 and November 1942, when national team games were suspended, as most players had to join the armed forces. Many of the national team players, and even ethnic German players from other national teams likeErnst Willimowski, were gathered together under coach Herberger asRote Jäger through the efforts of a sympathetic air force officer trying to protect the footballers from the most dangerous wartime service.
After theSecond World War, Germany was banned from competition in most sports until about 1950, with none of the three new German states,West Germany,East Germany andSaarland, entering the1950 World Cup qualifiers, since the DFB was only reinstated as full FIFA member after this World Cup.
As in most aspects of life, the pre-war traditions and organizations of Germany were carried on by theFederal Republic of Germany, which was referred to asWest Germany. This applied to the restored DFB which had its headquarters inFrankfurt am Main and still employed coachSepp Herberger. With recognition byFIFA andUEFA, the DFB maintained and continued the record of the pre-war team. NeighbouringSwitzerland was once again the first team that played West Germany in 1950, withTurkey andRepublic of Ireland being the only non-German speaking nations to play them in friendly matches during 1951.[16]
After only 18 post war games in total, West Germany qualified for the1954 World Cup, having prevailed against Norway and the "third German state", the Saarland.
TheSaar protectorate, otherwise known as Saarland, was split from Germany and put under French control between 1947 and 1956. Saarland did not want to join French organizations and was barred from participating in pan-German ones. Thus, they sent separate teams to the1952 Summer Olympics and also to the1954 World Cup qualifiers, whenSaarland finished below West Germany but aboveNorway in their qualification group, having won in Oslo. Legendary coachHelmut Schön was the manager of the Saarland team from 1952 until 1957 when the territory acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. He went on to coach the championship-winning team of the 1970s.
In 1949, the communistGerman Democratic Republic was founded in theSoviet-occupied eastern part of the country. A separate football competition emerged in what was commonly known as East Germany. In 1952 theDeutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR (DFV) was established and theEast Germany national football team took to the field. They were the only team to beat the1974 World Cup winning West Germans in a highly symbolic event for the divided nation that was the only meeting of the two sides. East Germany went on to win the gold medal at the1976 Olympics. After the fall of theBerlin Wall in 1989 andGerman reunification in 1990, the eastern football competition was reintegrated into the DFB.
West Germany, captained byFritz Walter, met in the1954 World Cup some of the teams they had played in friendly matches, namelyTurkey,Yugoslavia andAustria. When playing favouritesHungary in the group stage, with good chances to qualify for the next round even in case of defeat, coachSepp Herberger did not field his best players, saving them from the experience of a 3–8 loss. West Germany would go on to meet Hungary again in the final, facing the legendary team ofMighty Magyars again, which had gone unbeaten for 32 consecutive matches. In a shocking upset, West Germany came back from an early two goal deficit to win 3–2, withHelmut Rahn scoring the winning goal with only six minutes remaining.[17] The success is called "The Miracle of Bern" (Das Wunder von Bern).[18] The unexpected victory created a sense of euphoria throughout a divided postwar Germany. The triumph is credited with playing a significant role in securing the postwar ideological foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany.
After finishing fourth in the1958 World Cup and reaching only the quarter-finals in the1962 World Cup, the DFB had to make changes. Following examples set abroad, professionalism was introduced, and the best clubs from the various Regionalligas were assembled into the newBundesliga. In 1964,Helmut Schön took over as coach, replacing Herberger who had been in office for 28 years.
In the1966 World Cup, West Germany reached the final after beating theUSSR in the semifinal, facing hostsEngland atWembley Stadium.Wolfgang Weber's last-minute goal took the game intoextra time, a goal claimed to be controversial by the English, with the ball appearing to hit the hand of a German player as it travelled through the Englandpenalty area before he prodded it in. The first extra time goal byGeoff Hurst, nicknamedWembley-Tor (Wembley goal) in Germany, is still controversial after all this time. As the Swiss referee did not see the situation properly, the opinion of the Soviet linesmanTofik Bakhramov who believed that the ball bounced back from the net rather than the crossbar led to one of the most contentious goals in the history of football. While the Germans pushed hard to tie the game, spectators entered the field in the final seconds, and Hurst scored another controversial goal giving England a 4–2 win.[19][20]
West Germany gained a measure of revenge in the1970 World Cup by knocking England out in the quarter-finals 3–2, having been 2–0 down, before they suffered another memorable extra time loss, this time in the semi-final againstItaly atEstadio Azteca.Karl-Heinz Schnellinger scored during injury time to level the match at 1–1, and during extra time, both teams held the lead at one time. Memorably,Franz Beckenbauer remained on the field even with a dislocated shoulder, his arm in a sling strapped to his body, as West Germany had used up their two allowed substitutions. Eventually won 4–3 by Italy, this match with five goals in extra time is one of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and is called "Game of the Century" in both Italy (Partita del secolo) and Germany (Jahrhundertspiel).[21][22] While the exhausted Italians lost to Brazil, West Germany went on to claim third place by beatingUruguay 1–0, andGerd Müller finished as thetournament's top scorer with 10 goals.
In 1971,Franz Beckenbauer became captain of the national team, and he led West Germany to great success as they became both the European and World Champions. They won the European Championship on their first try atEuro 1972, defeating the Soviet Union 3–0 in the final.[23][24] Then, as hosts of the1974 World Cup, they won their second World Cup, defeating theNetherlands 2–1 in the final at theOlympiastadion in Munich.[25]
Two matches in the 1974 World Cup stood out for West Germany. The first group stage saw a politically charged match as West Germany played a game againstEast Germany. Both teams already were qualified for advance to the next round, and the East Germans won 1–0.[26] The West Germans adjusted their line up after the loss and advanced to the final which was the other outstanding match, against theJohan Cruijff-led Dutch team and their brand of "Total Football". Cruijff was brought down early in the Germanpenalty area following a solo run before any of the German players had even touched the ball, and the Dutch took the lead from the ensuingpenalty with just a minute gone on the clock. However, West Germany managed to come back, tying the match on a penalty scored byPaul Breitner, and winning it withGerd Müller's goal just before half-time. A second goal by Müller was ruled offside.[27][28]
West Germany failed to defend their titles in the next two major international tournaments. They lost toCzechoslovakia in the final ofEuro 1976 in apenalty shootout by a score of 5–3 after the match finished 2–2, withUli Hoeneß famously kicking the ball sky high.[29] Since that loss, Germany has not lost a penalty shootout in major international tournaments. In fact, untilLukas Podolski's shot was saved by the Serbian goalkeeperVladimir Stojković during group play of the2010 World Cup, the last penalty missed by a German player dates back to the1982 World Cup semifinals when the French goalkeeperJean-Luc Ettori savedUli Stielike's shot.[30]
In the1978 World Cup, Germany was eliminated in the second group stage after losing 2–3 toAustria, who had already been eliminated from the round of 16. Schön retired as coach afterward, and the post was taken over by his assistant,Jupp Derwall.
West Germany's first tournament under Derwall was successful, as they earned their second European title atEuro 1980 after defeatingBelgium 2–1 in the final.[31] West Germany then reached the final of the1982 World Cup, though not without difficulties. They were upset 1–2 byAlgeria in their first match,[32] but managed to advance to the second round with acontroversial 1–0 win overAustria. Then, in the semifinal againstFrance, they came back from down 1–3 during extra time to tie the match 3–3 and won the following penalty shootout 5–4.[33][34] In the final, they were defeated by Italy 1–3.[35]
During this period, West Germany also had one of the world's most productive goal scorers inGerd Müller, who racked up fourteen goals in two World Cups (1970 and 1974). His ten goals in 1970 are the third-most ever in a tournament, behind France'sJust Fontaine and HungarianSándor Kocsis. Though Müller's all-time World Cup record of 14 goals was broken byRonaldo in 2006, it took Ronaldo three tournaments to do so (1998, 2002, and 2006) before Germany'sMiroslav Klose surpassed the mark with 16 goals, scored over four tournaments (2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014).[36]
After West Germany were unexpectedly eliminated in the first round ofEuro 1984,Franz Beckenbauer returned to the national team to replace Derwall as coach.[37] In the1986 World Cup in Mexico, West Germany had a slow start to the tournament thanks partly to the hot climate and high altitude- conditions that were for the most part foreign to nearly all of the European teams. In the warm, rainy aridity and high altitude of Querétaro they drew with Uruguay 1–1, were beaten 2–0 by a flying Denmark side and beat Scotland 2–1, finishing runner up behind Denmark in their group. They then traveled to the intense heat and humidity of Monterrey to face Morocco, which they won 1–0 and then to face the hosts Mexico. After a goalless draw, West Germany won on penalties 5–4, and they would then travel to the tropical heat, rain and altitude of Guadalajara to face a strong Michel Platini-led French side- a rematch between the two sides after a classic duel during the previous World Cup in Spain. West Germany held their nerve to beat the French 2–0, and they then traveled to the 7,380 ft altitude of Mexico City to face aDiego Maradona-ledArgentina in the final at the famousAzteca Stadium. Argentina took a 2–0 lead butKarl-Heinz Rumenigge andRudi Voller tied the game in the second half, but Argentina scored a 3rd in the 85th minute and West Germany finished as runners-up for the second consecutive tournament.[38][39] InEuro 1988, West Germany's hopes of winning the tournament on home soil were spoiled by theNetherlands, as the Dutch gained revenge of their loss in 1974 by beating them 2–1 in the semifinals.[40]
In the1990 World Cup, West Germany finally won their third World Cup title in its unprecedented third consecutive final appearance.[41] Captained byLothar Matthäus, they defeatedYugoslavia (4–1) where Matthäus scored a goal from the halfway line; they then confidently thumped theUnited Arab Emirates (5–1) and drew withColombia 1–1, all in Milan. In the Round of 16, they then played bitter rivalsthe Netherlands in Milan, which proved to be a bad-tempered, ugly game that was somewhat reflective of the whole tournament. StrikerRudi Völler and Dutch midfielderFrank Rijkaard were both sent off by the temperamental and emotionally aggressive Argentine referee after arguing and violently tackling each other in the span of a few minutes, including a blatant handball by a furious Voller. Goals byJürgen Klinsmann andAndreas Brehme meant that Germany went on to win 2–1, and then in their quarter-final match they beatCzechoslovakia 1–0 in Milan. For their semi-final they went to playEngland inTurin, which proved to be a closely contested match between two equally skilled sides. Brehme scored a fluke goal early in the second half, but England'sGary Lineker equalized later in the second half and the match ended 1–1, but West Germany went on to win 4–3 on penalties, and the Germans were on the way to a final rematch againstArgentina in Rome.[42][43] West Germany won an ugly and difficult match 1–0, with the only goal being a penalty scored in the 85th minute byAndreas Brehme after Klinsmann was fouled in the Argentine penalty box.[41] Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as the national team's captain in 1974, thus became the second person ever (preceded only byMário Zagallo) to win the World Cup as both player and coach, and the first as both captain and coach. West Germany were also the tournament top scorers, scoring 14 goals.[37]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1988 Seoul | Team |
 | 2016 Rio de Janeiro | Team |
Prior to 1984, Olympic football was an amateur event, meaning that only non-professional players could participate. Due to this, West Germany was never able to achieve the same degree of success at the Olympics as at the World Cup, with the first medal coming in the1988 Olympics, when they won the bronze medal. It took Germany 28 years to participate at the Olympics again in2016, this time reaching the final and winning a silver medal. West Germany also reached the second round in both1972 and1984. On the other hand, due to having an ability to field its top-level players who were classified as amateurs on a technicality East Germany did better, winning a gold, a silver and two bronze medals (one representing theUnited Team of Germany).
In February 1990, months after the fall of theBerlin Wall, the draw for the1992 European Championship qualifying tournament sawEast Germany and West Germany drawn together inGroup 5. After West Germany's 1990 World Cup win, with assistantBerti Vogts taking over as the national team coach, the retiring Beckenbauer infamously predicted that the German team, with additional former East Germans to choose from, would be invincible for years to come. Thereunification of Germany was confirmed in August to take effect on 3 October 1990, with the accession of the former GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany. The members of the East German associationDeutscher Fußball-Verband acceded to the DFB in November, while the 1990–91 seasons would continue, with the restructuring of leagues scheduled for 1991–92. The first game with a unified German team, including former East German internationals such asMatthias Sammer andUlf Kirsten, was againstSwitzerland on 19 December.
InEuro 1992, Germany reached the final, but lost 0–2 to surprise winnersDenmark.[44] As the defending champions in the1994 World Cup, this tournament proved to be rough for the German squad, who hadn't changed much since the 1990 World Cup, but they were still a strong side: Matthaus was still captaining the team and Klinsmann, Brehme, Voller and Ilgner were retained. The German squad beat Bolivia 1–0 in the tournament's opening match and they drew with Spain 1–1, playing both matches inChicago. Then, they traveled down to the intense 35 °C (95 °F) heat ofDallas to play South Korea, a match they won 3–2 with Klinsmann scoring 2 goals. After this victory, midfielderStefan Effenberg was sent home by Vogts after he gave an obscene hand gesture to German fans and journalists after being substituted out during the 75th minute. Germany then advanced to the Round of 16, and they beat European rivals Belgium 3–2 in Chicago; Voller scored 2 goals in the first half. And then, a low point in German football came about. The tough German squad then went toGiants Stadium just outsideNew York City to playBulgaria in the quarter-finals, and they were upset 1–2 by the lowly ranked team, even though they led for the first part of the match after Matthaus scored from a penalty 2 minutes into the second half. But Bulgarian star playerHristo Stoichkov scored in the 75th minute, and the German team effectively fell apart, and this allowedYordan Letchkov to score 3 minutes later, and the Germans were never able to equalize. Vogts returned home to face a barrage of criticism, although he stayed on as manager.[45][46]
Reunified Germany won their first major international title atEuro 1996, becoming the European champions for the third time.[47] They defeated hostsEngland on penalty kicks (6–5 after a 1–1 draw) in the semifinals[48] and theCzech Republic 2–1 in the final, a match decided by agolden goal scored byOliver Bierhoff.[49]Matthias Sammer won theBallon d'Or in 1996 for his performances for Germany andBorussia Dortmund.
However, in the1998 World Cup, Germany were again eliminated by a less-heralded opponent in the quarterfinals, this time in a 0–3 defeat toCroatia.[50] Vogts stepped down afterwards and was replaced byErich Ribbeck.[51]
Ribbeck soon found himself faced with the issue of an ageing squad, several members of which chose to retire after their World Cup exit, leaving him relying on the remaining members of the Euro 1996-winning team, and untested new players. Despite this, the team won theirUEFA Euro 2000 qualifying group relatively comfortably, albeit with automatic qualification not being definitively secured until their final group game.
InEuro 2000, the aging team went out in the first round after failing to win any of their three matches, including an embarrassing 0–3 loss to an understrengthPortugal side (who had already advanced to the next round), and their first competitive loss against England (who themselves performed poorly at the tournament, losing both of their other matches) since the 1966 World Cup final.[52] Ribbeck resigned amid strong public criticism and was replaced temporarily and then permanently byRudi Völler – after planned successorChristoph Daum was involved in a drug scandal.[53][54][55]
Coming into the2002 World Cup, expectations of the German team were low due to poor results in thequalifiers. This included not directly qualifying for the finals for the first time. The team nonetheless dealt a thrashing toSaudi Arabia 8–0 in their first match.[56] In the knockout stages, riding on the heroics ofOliver Kahn andMichael Ballack they produced three consecutive 1–0 wins againstParaguay,[57] theUnited States,[58] and co-hostsSouth Korea,[59] setting up a final againstBrazil, the first World Cup meeting between the two. Unfortunately Ballack was suspended for the final due to accumulatedyellow cards and Kahn was injured during the final proper. In a hard-fought match, Germany thus lost 0–2.[60] Nevertheless,Miroslav Klose won theSilver Boot and German captain and goalkeeperOliver Kahn won theGolden Ball,[61] the first time in the World Cup's history that a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament, as well as theYashin-Award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament.[62]
Germany failed to build on their success in 2002 and again exited in the first round ofEuro 2004, this time drawing their first two matches and losing the third. As was the case in 2000, the team exited losing to an understrength side that had already advanced, in this case theCzech Republic. Even though Germany dominated the match, they could not score, losing to a Czech goal scored on the break.[63] Völler resigned afterwards,[64] denouncing the constant media criticism in a famous TV interview. The national team had to find their third new coach in six years after having had only six coaches in the previous 75 years. When prospective candidates includingOttmar Hitzfeld andOtto Rehhagel turned down the job,[65][66] former national team playerJürgen Klinsmann, who had never held any coaching jobs before, was appointed.[67] In similar style to Beckenbauer's former role as team manager without a coaching license, the experiencedJoachim Löw from Stuttgart was appointed to assist him.
Klinsmann madeMichael Ballack the captain followingEuro 2004. Klinsmann's main task was to lead the national team to a good showing at the2006 World Cup being hosted in Germany.
Prior to the start of the tournament, hopes were not as high for Germany as in previous tournaments (even in Germany itself), even though it was the host nation. Critics pointed out the apparent lack of quality players in the squad and coach Klinsmann's decision to live in America rather than Germany. However, Germany won the opening game of the World Cup againstCosta Rica 4–2.[68] They continued to develop both confidence and support across the group stage, conceding no further goals as they beatPoland 1–0[69] andEcuador 3–0, withMiroslav Klose scoring twice andLukas Podolski adding another in the last match.[70] Germany finished on top of their group with three wins. The team went on to defeatSweden 2–0 in the round of 16, withLukas Podolski netting both goals in only 12 minutes, from assists byMiroslav Klose.[71]
Germany faced favoritesArgentina in the quarter-finals, a team that Germany had not defeated since the 1990 World Cup. Germany's clean sheet streak was broken shortly after half time as Argentina scored first to grab a 0–1 lead. However,Michael Ballack's cross, flicked on byTim Borowski, allowed Klose to head in the equalizer with 10 minutes to spare. During the subsequent penalty shootout, goalkeeperJens Lehmann saved two shots while his teammates all converted their shots to win the shootout 4–2.[72][73][74] After the game, the Argentinians started a brawl, which later resulted in a match ban for midfielderTorsten Frings after Italian television networks showed video footage of him participating in the fight.[75]
Expectations rose in Germany following these results, with many thinking that a record eighth appearance in the World Cup final was possible even though a starter was missing and the players were tired after already playing a tough 120 minutes against Argentina. In the semifinal match againstItaly, the match went to extra time again, and hopes grew high that another penalty shootout would take the team to the final match in Berlin. However, despite Klinsmann's focus on fitness, the speed and concentration of the German players faded, and they conceded two goals in the final ninety seconds ofextra time.[76]
Despite having their dreams of playing in the final dashed, Klinsmann's squad quickly recovered their composure, and journalists noted the team's upbeat mood in the practices leading up to the third-place match. Three starters, including captain Michael Ballack, would not be available for the third place match, and their opponent Portugal's goalkeeper,Ricardo, had up to that point conceded only one goal in regular play. Nonetheless, Germany thoroughly defeated Portugal 3–1, at one point leading 3–0 due toBastian Schweinsteiger's two goals and an own goal, also off his shot, by Portugal'sPetit.[77]
With this victory, Germany ended the World Cup on a high, not only with the 3–1 win over Portugal in the battle for third place, but also with several awards:Miroslav Klose was awarded theGolden Boot for his tournament-leading five goals,[78] becoming the first player from the united Germany to earn it, and fellow strikerLukas Podolski won the 'Best Young Player' award.[79] Furthermore, four of Germany's players (Jens Lehmann,Philipp Lahm,Michael Ballack, andMiroslav Klose) were selected for the tournament All-Star Team.[80] In addition, with 14 goals scored, the German side scored more goals than any other team in the tournament.[81] After the tournament, over 500,000 people honored the team by giving them a hero's welcome at theBrandenburg Gate inBerlin.
Germany's entry into theEuro 2008 qualifying round was marked partially by the promotion ofJoachim Löw to head coach, since Klinsmann retired in spite of a public outcry for him to continue managing the Mannschaft.[82][83] Löw did not have the sweeping charisma of his predecessor, but the reputation of being a shrewd and capable tactician. He quickly became notable for continually introducing talented young players into his team, leading to a continuous rejuvenation of the squad. In a group with theCzech Republic and theRepublic of Ireland, Germany qualified comfortably, defeatingSan Marino in a record 13–0 away win along the way.[84]
For thefinal tournament, Germany were placed intoGroup B alongsidePoland,Croatia and longtime rivalsAustria.[85] Germany defeated Poland 2–0[86] but suffered an ignominious 1–2 defeat to Croatia, compounded by a red card forBastian Schweinsteiger for an aggressive off-the-ball incident.[87] Germany entered the knockout round with a victory over Austria in the last match of group play.[88] The only scorer of the game wasMichael Ballack, who scored in the 49th minute with a powerful long-distance free-kick that was later chosen as theGerman Goal of the Year. Their quarterfinal opponent wasPortugal. Germany started well and took an early lead after Schweinsteiger converted a cross fromLukas Podolski.Miroslav Klose made it 2–0 after heading in a free kick by Schweinsteiger. Portugal responded with a goal right before halftime, but Germany reclaimed their two-goal lead in the second half when Schweinsteiger assisted another header, this time by Michael Ballack. Germany saw out the rest of the match comfortably, conceding a late consolation goal, leaving the final score at 3–2.[89]
Germany went into their semifinal match againstTurkey as the favourites. However, the team put up a nervous and shaky performance, falling behind due toUğur Boral's goal in the 22nd minute.Bastian Schweinsteiger equalised, andMiroslav Klose put Germany ahead with less than twelve minutes left only forSemih Şentürk to level the score in the last minutes of the match. Just as the game was heading for extra time, defenderPhilipp Lahm cut inside pastColin Kazim-Richards, exchanged passes withThomas Hitzlsperger, and stole in at the near post to score in the final minute, sending Germany into thefinal againstSpain.[90]
Spain were the heavy favourites but Germany was believed to be one of the few sides able to challenge them. Spain controlled the game and took the lead throughFernando Torres. Germany ended up losing the match 0–1, finishing as the runners-up of the tournament.[91]
For thequalification for World Cup 2010, Germany were placed in agroup withAzerbaijan (led by former Germany coachBerti Vogts),Finland,Liechtenstein,Russia, andWales.[92] Germany comfortably qualified as top of the group with 8 wins and two draws (both against Finland).
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The 2010 World Cup draw, which took place on 4 December 2009, placed Germany inGroup D, along withAustralia,Serbia, andGhana.[93] Throughout the tournament, Germany impressed by playing an attractive, attacking style of football. On 13 June 2010, they played their first match of the tournament against Australia and won 4–0.[94] They lost their second match 0–1 to Serbia.[95] Their next match against Ghana was won 1–0 by a goal fromMesut Özil.[96] Germany went on to win the group and advanced to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Germany defeatedEngland 4–1, England's highest World Cup loss to date.[97] At 2–1, however, the game controversially had a goal byFrank Lampard disallowed, despite video replays that showed the ball beyond the goal line.[98][99][100] In the quarterfinals, Germany defeatedArgentina 4–0;[101] this match was also celebrated strikerMiroslav Klose's 100th international cap and the match in which he tied German legendGerd Müller's record of 14 World Cup goals, one behind the all-time record of 15 World Cup goals, which is held byRonaldo ofBrazil.[36][102][103][104] In the semi-final on 7 July, Germany lost 1–0 toSpain, in an almost flashback to the finals of Euro 2008.[105] Germany playedUruguay for Third Place, as in 1970, and won the match 3–2 on 10 July.[106]
Germany scored the most with a total of 16 goals in the 2010 World Cup, in comparison, the winning nationSpain scored only 8 goals.[107] The German team became the first team sinceBrazil in1982 to record the highestgoal difference in aWorld Cup without winning it. In an internet poll, Germany was voted the World CupsMost Entertaining Team, although FIFA discontinued the official award. German youngsterThomas Müller won the Golden Boot with the most goals and assists scored (succeeding teammateMiroslav Klose),[108] and he was also given theBest Young Player Award (succeeding teammateLukas Podolski).[109]
The German team reflected the changing demographic of Germany. It was significantly multicultural, as 11 of the players in the final 23-man World Cup Finals roster were eligible to play for other countries, despite 10 of the 11 being born or raised in Germany. The 11th,Cacau, arrived fromBrazil in his late teens.[110] Despite this transition, Germany kept the traditional strength as a team that excels when playing at major tournaments with a well-attuned team. Prior to the World Cup the Mannschaft lost in a friendly toEngland 2–1,[111] another friendly againstArgentina 1–0,[112] and less than a year after the World Cup Germany lost againstAustralia 2–1.[113] While losing on home soil in friendlies, Germany decisively thrashed all these three teams in the tournament in South Africa, scoring four goals in each match.
Germany qualified top ofGroup A inqualification forUEFA Euro 2012 with a record of 10 wins out of ten matches againstKazakhstan,Turkey,Austria,Belgium, andAzerbaijan.[114]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 7 | +27 | 30 | Qualify forfinal tournament | — | 3–0 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 6–1 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | Turkey | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 17 | Advance toplay-offs | 1–3 | — | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| 3 | Belgium | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | +6 | 15 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | 4–4 | 4–1 | 4–1 | ||
| 4 | Austria | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 17 | −1 | 12 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | — | 3–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 26 | −16 | 7 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | — | 3–2 | ||
| 6 | Kazakhstan | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 24 | −18 | 4 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | — |
The draw for the final tournament took place on 2 December 2011 at theUkraine Palace of Arts inKyiv,Ukraine.[115][116] Germany was placed in group B along withPortugal,Netherlands, andDenmark, thus making it thegroup of death.
As the only team to have won all three group matches, Germany went on to defeat Greece in the quarter-final and set a historic record in international football of 15 consecutive wins in all competitive matches.[117] In the semi-final match against Italy, despite high expectations, Germany was unable to break therecord to defeat Italy in any competitive matches.
Netherlands  | 1–2 | Germany |
|---|---|---|
Van Persie 73' | Report | Gómez 24 ', 38' |
On 30 July 2011 at the2014 FIFA World Cup preliminary draw, Germany were placed inGroup C. They commenced their qualifying campaign in late 2012 in a group that featured contendersSweden,Republic of Ireland,Austria,Faroe Islands andKazakhstan.[118]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |  | |  | |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 10 | +26 | 28 | Qualification to2014 FIFA World Cup | — | 4–4 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Sweden | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 14 | +5 | 20 | Advance tosecond round | 3–5 | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 3 | Austria | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 17 | 1–2 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | 4–0 | 6–0 | ||
| 4 | Republic of Ireland | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 17 | −1 | 14 | 1–6 | 1–2 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 5 | Kazakhstan | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 21 | −15 | 5 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 6 | Faroe Islands | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 29 | −25 | 1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | — |
The draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals placed Germany inGroup G along withPortugal,Ghana, and theUnited States.[120] TheGerman Football Association constructed a purpose-built training base,Campo Bahia, for their stay in Brazil. Germany started the tournament with a 4–0 defeat of Portugal, with Thomas Muller scoring a hat trick. They drew their next match with Ghana 2–2. Miroslav Klose tied Ronaldo's record of fifteen World Cup finals goals in the match. Germany won their final game against the United States 1–0. They played Algeria in the round of 16 in a rematch of their encounter in 1982. Germany prevailed 2–1 after extra time. They then defeated France 1–0 in the quarterfinals. They faced Brazil in the semi-finals where they won adecisive 7–1 victory. Klose scored the second goal of the game, surpassing Ronaldo for the record of most goals in the World Cup. Germany defeatedArgentina 1–0 in the final on 13 July and obtained its fourth title.[121]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 |  United States | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Portugal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Ghana | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 1 |
After finishing first in theUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D, Germany managed to win their group ahead ofPoland,Northern Ireland andUkraine. In the knock-out stages, they overcomeSlovakia with a 3–0 win, then they won againstItaly 6–5 in a penalty shootout (after a 1–1 draw) for the first time in a major tournament.[122][123] Their journey ended in the semi-finals after a 2–0 loss against the host-nationFrance, the French's first competitive win against Germany in 58 years.[124]
Having qualified as the 2014 World Cup Champion, the German coachJoachim Löw decided to participate in the competition with a young team captained byJulian Draxler. The team won their group ahead ofChile,Australia andCameroon. Then, they won againstMexico 4–1 in the semi-finals to progress to the final. Unexpectedly, the young team managed to win Germany their firstFIFA Confederations Cup title ever after a 1–0 win againstChile at theKrestovsky Stadium inSaint Petersburg.[125]
Despite winning their 10 matches in the2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. Germany went out from the World Cup group stage. Their first exit in the first round for the first time since 1938, after two losses and only one win. The first match was againstMexico, the team which they beat in the FIFA Confederations Cup a year earlier, the match ended with a 1–0 win for the Mexicans, the German first loss in an opening match since the1982 World Cup against Algeria. The second match was againstSweden which ended in a 2–1 win, thanks toToni Kroos's 95th-minute goal. In the last match, Germany needed a "one-goal" win againstSouth Korea to reach the next round, but two late goals during second-half stoppage time from South Korea made the defending champions to leave the competition with only bad memories.[126][127]
Germany, known in German as a "Tournament Team" (German:Turniermannschaft), came to the 2018 tournament without their 2014 heroesMario Götze andAndré Schürrle. The retirement of key players such asPhilipp Lahm,Bastian Schweinsteiger, andMiroslav Klose meant the loss of leading players. During the tournament, poor performances by main players such asThomas Müller andSami Khedira, as well as wrong team selection by the coachJoachim Löw were the main factors in the devastating early exit.[128] Moreover, complacency and lack of sharpness of the attacking players were obvious according to former player and coachJürgen Klinsmann.[129]
Germany finished second in Group F, behindFrance and ahead ofPortugal andHungary. In the round of 16, they lost 2–0 againstEngland atWembley Stadium, which was their last match under coach Joachim Löw.[130]
Under new coachHansi Flick, Germany was eliminated in the group stage for the second time in a row, as they finished third in their group behindJapan andSpain.[131]
| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1930 | Did not enter | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
 1934 | Third Place | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
 1938 | First Round | 10th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
 1950 | Banned | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
 1954 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | |
| 1958 | Fourth Place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 14 | Qualified as Defending Champions | ||||||
 1962 | Quarter-Final | 7th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | |
 1966 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
 1970 | Third Place | 3rd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | |
| 1974 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | Qualified as Hosts | ||||||
 1978 | Second Group Stage | 6th | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 5 | Qualified as Defending Champions | ||||||
 1982 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | |
| 1986 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 9 | |
 1990 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 3 | |
| 1994 | Quarter-Final | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | Qualified as Defending Champions | ||||||
| 1998 | Quarter-Final | 7th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 9 | |
  2002 | Runners-up | 2nd | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 12 | |
| 2006 | Third Place | 3rd | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 6 | Qualified as Hosts | ||||||
 2010 | Third Place | 3rd | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 5 | |
 2014 | Champions | 1st | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 10 | |
 2018 | Group Stage | 22nd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
 2022 | Group Stage | 17th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 4 | |
| Total | 4 Titles | 19/21 | 109 | 67 | 20* | 22 | 226 | 125 | 94 | 74 | 18 | 2 | 292 | 70 | |
| UEFA European Championship record | UEFA European Championship Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
| 1960 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
 1964 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1968 | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |||||||||
| 1972 | Champions | 1st | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 3 | ||
 1976 | Runners-up | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 5 | ||
| 1980 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| 1984 | Group Stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 5 | ||
| 1988 | Semi-final | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Qualified as Hosts | |||||||
| 1992 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 1996 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 10 | ||
| 2000 | Group Stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 4 | ||
| 2004 | Group Stage | 12th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 2008 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 7 | ||
  2012 | Semi-final | 3rd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 7 | ||
| 2016 | Semi-final | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 9 | ||
 2020 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 7 | ||
| 2024 | Quarter-final | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 4 | ||||||||
| Total | 3 titles | 13/16 | 58 | 30 | 14* | 14 | 90 | 59 | 106 | 76 | 20 | 10 | 267 | 68 | ||
| FIFA Confederations Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA | Squad |
 1992 | Did not enter[132] | ||||||||
| 1995 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 1997 | Did not enter[133] | ||||||||
| 1999 | Group Stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Squad |
| 2001 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2003 | Did not enter[134] | ||||||||
| 2005 | Third Place | 3rd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 11 | Squad |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2013 | |||||||||
| 2017 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | Squad |
| Total | Third Place | 3/10 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 22 | |
NoteAll tournaments from 1950 to 1990 inclusively were competed as West Germany.
| Overview | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place |
| FIFA World Cup | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| UEFA European Championship | 3 | 3 | 3 | x |
| Summer Olympic Games | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| FIFA Confederations Cup | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| UEFA Nations League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 9 | 9 | 11 | 2 |
| Overview | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place |
| FIFA Women's World Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| UEFA Women's Championship | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Summer Olympic Games | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 11 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
|
|
|
| Name | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws1 | Losses | Win % | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFB committee | 1908–1926 | 58 | 16 | 12 | 30 | 27.59 | |
| Otto Nerz | 1926–1936 | 70 | 42 | 10 | 18 | 60.00 | Third place at the1934 World Cup |
| Sepp Herberger2 | 1936–1942 1950–1964 | 167 | 94 | 27 | 46 | 56.29 | Winner of the1954 World Cup, Fourth place at the1958 World Cup |
| Helmut Schön | 1964–1978 | 139 | 87 | 31 | 21 | 62.59 | Runner-up of the1966 World Cup, Third place at the1970 World Cup, Winner ofEuro 1972, Winner of the1974 World Cup, Runner-up ofEuro 1976 |
| Jupp Derwall | 1978–1984 | 67 | 44 | 12 | 11 | 65.67 | Winner ofEuro 1980, Runner-up of the1982 World Cup |
| Franz Beckenbauer | 1984–1990 | 66 | 34 | 20 | 12 | 51.52 | Runner-up of the1986 World Cup, Winner of the1990 World Cup |
| Berti Vogts | 1990–1998 | 102 | 66 | 24 | 12 | 64.71 | Runner-up ofEuro 1992, Winner ofEuro 1996 |
| Erich Ribbeck | 1998–2000 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 41.67 | |
| Rudi Völler | 2000–2004 | 53 | 29 | 11 | 13 | 54.72 | Runner-up of the2002 World Cup |
| Jürgen Klinsmann | 2004–2006 | 34 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 58.82 | Third place at the2005 Confederations Cup, Third place at the2006 World Cup |
| Joachim Löw3 | 2006– | 165 | 108 | 30 | 27 | 65.46 | Runner-up ofEuro 2008, Third place at the2010 World Cup, Third place at theEuro 2012, Winner of the2014 World Cup, Winner of the2017 Confederations Cup |
| Total3 | 945 | 550 | 191 | 204 | 55.37 | ||
This is the list of Germanycaptains since Germany'sfirst participation in a World Cup in 1934 (current as of 23 November 2014).[135][136]
Note: the column "games" signifies overall games as captain, not overall caps. East German captains are not included. Captained games outside the player's main period are also included.
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| Player | Period | Games | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fritz Szepan | 1934–1939 | 30 | |
| Paul Janes | 1939–1942 | 31 | |
| Fritz Walter | 1951–1956 | 30 | Honorary captain |
| Hans Schäfer | 1957–1962 | 16 | |
| Helmut Rahn | 1957–1959 | 8 | |
| Herbert Erhardt | 1959–1962 | 18 | |
| Uwe Seeler | 1961–1970 | 40 | Honorary captain |
| Wolfgang Overath | 1968–1971 | 14 | |
| Franz Beckenbauer | 1971–1977 | 50 | Honorary captain |
| Berti Vogts | 1977–1978 | 20 | |
| Bernard Dietz | 1978–1981 | 19 | |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | 1980–1986 | 50 | |
| Harald Schumacher | 1984–1986 | 11 | |
| Klaus Allofs | 1986–1988 | 8 | |
| Lothar Matthäus | 1987–1999 | 72 | Honorary captain |
| Jürgen Klinsmann | 1995–1998 | 36 | Honorary captain |
| Oliver Bierhoff | 1998–2001 | 22 | |
| Oliver Kahn | 2000–2006 | 48 | |
| Michael Ballack | 2004–2010 | 54 | |
| Philipp Lahm | 2010–2014 | 51 | |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | 2014–2016 | 13 | |
| Manuel Neuer | 2016–2024 | 21 | |
| Joshua Kimmich | 2024–present | 0 |
