TheGermany national football team (German:Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft) representsGermany in men's internationalfootball and played its first match in 1908.[7] The team is governed by theGerman Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund), founded in 1900.[12][13] Between 1949 and 1990, separate German national teams were recognised byFIFA due toAllied occupation and division: the DFB's team representing theFederal Republic of Germany (commonly referred to as West Germany in English between 1949 and 1990), theSaarland team representing theSaar Protectorate (1950–1956) and theEast Germany team representing theGerman Democratic Republic (1952–1990). The latter two were absorbed along with their records;[14][15] the present team represents the reunified Federal Republic. The official name and code "Germany FR (FRG)" was shortened to "Germany (GER)" followingreunification in 1990.
Germany is one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, having won fourFIFA World Cups (1954,1974,1990, and2014), tied withItaly, and only one fewer than the most successful team,Brazil. Having won threeEuropean Championships (1972,1980, and1996) Germany is second behindSpain, the record holder in that international competition with four. Germany also won theFIFA Confederations Cup in2017.[12] They have also been runners-up at the European Championship three times, and four times at the World Cup, with a further four third-place finishes at the World Cup.[12] East Germany wonOlympic Gold in1976.[16] Germany was the first, and is one of only two nations to have won both the FIFA World Cup and theFIFA Women's World Cup (the other being Spain).[17][18] By combined World Cups, Germany stands as the most successful football nation in history with six World Cups – four for the men's team and two for the women's. At the end of the 2014 World Cup, Germany earned the second highestElo rating of any national football team in history, with 2,223 points.[19] Germany is also the only European nation that has won a FIFA World Cup in theAmericas.
Germany national team at its first official international match in 1908
On 18 April 1897, an early international game onGerman soil was played inHamburg when a selection team from theDanish Football Association defeated a selection team from the Hamburg-Altona Football Association, 5–0.[20][21]
Between 1899 and 1901, prior to the formation of a national team, there were five international matches between Germany andEnglish selection teams, which are today not recognised as official by either nation's football association (in part because England fielded theiramateur side, which was an overflow or B team). All five matches ended in large defeats for the Germany teams, including a 12–0 loss atWhite Hart Lane in September 1901.[22] Eight years after the establishment of theGerman Football Association (DFB) in 1900, the first official match of the Germany national football team[e] was played on 5 April 1908, againstSwitzerland inBasel, with the Swiss winning 5–3.[7] A follow-up to the earlier series between England Amateurs and Germany occurred in March 1909 atOxford's White House Ground[23] and resulted in Germany's largest official defeat to date: 9–0 (this time, the match was recognised and recorded as official by the DFB but not by theFA, again due to the amateur side being fielded).[22] These early confrontations formed the beginning of the richrivalry between the two teams: one of the longest and most enduring international rivalries in football.[24]
Julius Hirsch was the first Jewish player to represent the Germany national football team, which he joined in 1911.[25][26] Hirsch scored four goals for Germany against the Netherlands in 1912, becoming the first German to score four goals in a single match.[27][28]
Forward Gottfried Fuchs, key player for Germany at the 1912 Olympic Games
Gottfried Fuchs scored a world record 10 goals for Germany in a 16–0 win againstRussia at the1912 Olympics in Stockholm on 1 July, becoming the top scorer of the tournament; his international record was not surpassed until 2001 whenAustralia'sArchie Thompson scored 13 goals in a31–0 defeat ofAmerican Samoa.[29] He was Jewish, and the German Football Association erased all references to him from their records between 1933 and 1945.[30][31] As of 2016, he was still the top German scorer for one match.[32]
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.[33] The German FA could not afford travel to Uruguay for the first World Cup staged in1930 during theGreat 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 of Breslau,Lower Silesia (nowWrocław, Poland).[34][35]
AfterAustria became part ofGermany in theAnschluss of March 1938, theAustrian national team – one of Europe's best sides at the time due to professionalism – was disbanded despite having already qualified for the1938 World Cup.Nazi politicians ordered five or six ex-Austrian players, from the clubsRapid Vienna,Austria Vienna, andFirst Vienna FC, to join the "all-German" team on short notice in a staged show of unity for political reasons. At the 1938 World Cup in France, this "united" Germany national team managed only a 1–1 draw against Switzerland and then lost the replay 2–4 in front of a hostile crowd in Paris. That early exit stands as Germany's worst World Cup result, and one of just three occasions the team failed to progress from the group stage – the next would not occur until the2018 tournament, and it would be repeated in2022.
DuringWorld War II, the team played over 30 international games between September 1939 and November 1942. National team games were then suspended, as most players had to join the armed forces. Many of the national team players 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.
Three German national teams (1945–1990)
After World War II, Germany was banned from competition in most sports until 1950. The DFB was not a full member of FIFA, and none of the three new German states –West Germany,East Germany, andSaarland – entered the1950 World Cup qualifiers.
The Federal Republic of Germany, which was referred to as West Germany, continued the DFB. With recognition by FIFA and UEFA, the DFB maintained and continued the record of the pre-war team.Switzerland was the first team that played West Germany in 1950,[36] with the latter qualifying for the1954 World Cup and the former hosting it.
TheSaarland, a French protectorate between 1947 and 1956, did not join French organisations, and was barred from participating in pan-German ones. It senttheir own team to the1952 Summer Olympics and the1954 World Cup qualifiers. In 1957, Saarland acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Helmut Rahn scored the winning goal in the 1954 FIFA World Cup final.
West Germany, captained byFritz Walter, met in the 1954 World Cup againstTurkey,Yugoslavia andAustria. When playing favouritesHungary in the group stage, West Germany lost 3–8, and faced the Hungarian"Mighty Magyars" again in thefinal. Hungary had gone unbeaten for 32 consecutive matches, and West Germany snapped the streak by winning 3–2, withHelmut Rahn scoring the winning goal.[37] The success is called "The Miracle of Bern" (Das Wunder von Bern).[38]
Memorable losses: Wembley goal and game of the century (1958–1970)
After finishing fourth in the1958 World Cup and only reaching the quarter-finalsfour years later, the DFB made changes. 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 semi-final, facing hostsEngland. In extra time, the first goal byGeoff Hurst was one of the most contentious goals in the history of the World Cup: the linesman signalled the ball had crossed the line for a goal, after bouncing down from the crossbar, when replays showed it did not appear to have fully crossed the line. Hurst then scored another goal giving England a 4–2 win.[39][40]
West Germany knocked England out in the1970 World Cup quarter-finals 3–2, before they suffered a 4–3 extra-time loss in the semi-final againstItaly. This match with five goals in extra time is one of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and is called the "Game of the Century" in both Italy and Germany.[41][42] West Germany claimed third place by beatingUruguay 1–0.Gerd Müller finished as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals.
In 1971,Franz Beckenbauer became captain of the national team, and he led West Germany to victory at the European Championship atEuro 1972, defeating the Soviet Union 3–0 in the final.[43][44]
As hosts of the1974 World Cup, they won their second World Cup, defeating theNetherlands 2–1 in the final in Munich.[45]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.The East Germans won 1–0 but it made a scant difference to West Germany as the West Germans advanced to the knockout stage.[46] The West Germans advanced to the final against theJohan Cruyff-led Dutch team and their brand of "Total Football". The Dutch took the lead from apenalty. However, West Germany equalised with a penalty byPaul Breitner, and won the match withGerd Müller's fine finish soon after.[47][48]
West Germany failed to defend their titles in the next two major international tournaments. They lost toCzechoslovakia in theUEFA Euro 1976 final in apenalty shootout 5–3,[49] their last penalty shootout loss in a major tournament as of 2025.[50]
In the1978 World Cup, Germany was eliminated in the second group stage after losing 3–2 toAustria. 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.[51] West Germany started the1982 World Cup with a 1–2 upset by newcomersAlgeria in their first match,[52] but advanced to the second round with acontroversial 1–0 win over Austria. In thesemi-final against France, they drew 3–3 and won the penalty shootout 5–4.[53][54] In thefinal, they were defeated by Italy 1–3.[55]
During this period, West Germany'sGerd Müller racked up fourteen goals in two World Cups (1970 and 1974). His ten goals in 1970 are the third-most ever in a tournament. Müller's all-time World Cup record of 14 goals was broken byRonaldo in 2006; this was then further broken byMiroslav Klose in 2014 with 16 goals.[56]
After West Germany were eliminated in the first round ofEuro 1984,Franz Beckenbauer returned to the national team to replace Derwall as manager.[57] At the1986 World Cup in Mexico, West Germany finished as runners-up for the second consecutive tournament after beating France 2–0 in the semi-finals, but losing to theDiego Maradona-ledArgentina in the final, 2–3.[58][59] InEuro 1988, after drawing Italy 1–1 and beating both Denmark andSpain 2–0 in the group stage,[60] West Germany's hopes of winning the tournament on home soil were spoiled by theNetherlands, as the Dutch beat them 2–1 in the semi-finals.[61][62]
At the1990 World Cup in Italy, West Germany won their third World Cup title, in its unprecedented third consecutive final appearance.[63] Captained byLothar Matthäus, they defeatedYugoslavia (4–1),UAE (5–1), the Netherlands (2–1),Czechoslovakia (1–0), andEngland (1–1, 4–3 on penalty kicks) on the way to a final rematch against Argentina in Rome.[64][65] West Germany won 1–0, with the only goal being a penalty scored in the 85th minute byAndreas Brehme.[63] Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as the national team's captain in 1974, thus became the first person to win the World Cup as both captain and manager,[57] and the second to win as player and manager, afterMario Zagallo of Brazil.
East Germany did however achieve significantly greater success inOlympic football than the amateur teams fielded by the WesternNOC of Germany due to using its elite players from the top domestic league. In1956,1960, and1964 both states had sent aUnited Team of Germany. For1964, the East German side had beaten their Western counterparts in order to be selected. They went on to win the bronze medal for Germany. As GDR, they won bronze in1972 in Munich, gold in1976 in Montreal, and silver in1980 in Moscow.
Prior to 1984,Olympic football was an amateur event, meaning that only non-professional players could participate.[f] Due to this, West Germany was never able to achieve the same degree of success at the Olympics as at the World Cup. The first medal coming in the1988 Olympics, when they won the bronze medal after beatingItaly 3–0 in the 3rd place match.[66] 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 the United Team of Germany).
In February 1990, three months after the fall of theBerlin Wall,East Germany and West Germany were drawn together inUEFA Euro 1992 qualifying. In November 1990, the East German associationDeutscher Fußball-Verband integrated into the DFB, by which time the East Germany team had ceased operations, playing its last match on 12 September 1990. The unified Germany national team completed the European Championship qualifying group. TheEast German 1990–91 league continued, with a restructuring of German leagues in 1991–92. The first game with a unified Germany national team was againstSwitzerland on 19 December 1990.[67]
After the 1990 World Cup, assistantBerti Vogts took over as the national team coach from the retiring Beckenbauer. InEuro 1992, Germany reached the final, but lost 0–2 to underdogsDenmark.[68] In the1994 World Cup, they were upset 1–2 in the quarterfinals byBulgaria.[69][70]
Reunified Germany won its first major international title atEuro 1996, becoming European champions for the third time.[71] They defeated hostsEngland in the semi-finals,[72] and theCzech Republic 2–1 in the final on agolden goal in extra time.[73]
However, in the1998 World Cup, Germany were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 0–3 defeat toCroatia, with all goals being scored after defenderChristian Wörns received a straight red card.[74] Vogts stepped down afterwards and was replaced byErich Ribbeck.[75]
Erich Ribbeck and Rudi Völler years (2000–2004)
InEuro 2000, the team went out in the first round, drawing with Romania, then suffering a 1–0 defeat to England and were routed 3–0 by Portugal (which fielded their backup players, having already advanced).[76] Ribbeck resigned, and was replaced byRudi Völler.[77]
Coming into the2002 World Cup, expectations of Germany were low due to poor results in thequalifiers, and not directly qualifying for the finals for the first time. The team advanced from the group, and in the knockout stages they produced three consecutive 1–0 wins againstParaguay,[78] theUnited States,[79] and co-hostsSouth Korea.Oliver Neuville scored two minutes from time against Paraguay andMichael Ballack scored both goals in the US and South Korea games, although he picked up a second yellow card against South Korea for atactical foul and was suspended for the subsequent match.[80] This set up a final againstBrazil, the first World Cup meeting between the two. Germany lost 0–2 thanks to twoRonaldo goals.[81] Nevertheless, German captain and goalkeeperOliver Kahn won theGolden Ball,[82] the first time in the World Cup that a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament.[83]
Fans watching Germany vs. Argentina in the 2006 World Cup at theDonau Arena inRegensburg
Germany once again exited in the first round atEuro 2004, drawing their first two matches and losing the third to the Czech Republic (who had fielded a second-string team).[84] Völler resigned afterwards, andJürgen Klinsmann was appointed head coach.[85][86]
Resurgence under Klinsmann (2004–2006)
Klinsmann's main task was to lead the national team to a good showing at the2006 World Cup in Germany. He relieved goalkeeper Kahn of the captaincy and announced that Kahn and longtime backupJens Lehmann would be competing for the position of starting goaltender, a decision that angered Kahn and Lehmann eventually won that contest.[87] Expectations for the team were low, which was not helped by veteran defenderChristian Wörns being dropped (after Wörns criticised Klinsmann for designating him only as a backup player on the squad), a choice roundly panned in Germany. Italy routed Germany 4–1 in a March 2006 exhibition game, and Klinsmann bore the brunt of the criticism as the team wasranked only 22nd in the world entering the 2006 World Cup.[88]
As World Cup hosts, Germany won all three group stage matches to finish top of their group. The team defeatedSweden 2–0 in the round of 16,[89]and Argentina in the quarter-finals in a penalty shootout.[90][91][92] The semi-final against Italy was scoreless until near the end of extra time when Germany conceded two goals.[93]In the third place match, Germany defeated Portugal 3–1.[94]Miroslav Klose was awarded theGolden Boot for his tournament-leading five goals.[95]
Germany's entry into theEuro 2008 qualifying round was marked by the promotion ofJoachim Löw following the resignation of Klinsmann.[96]AtUEFA Euro 2008, Germany won two out of three matches in group play to advance to the knockout round.[97] They defeatedPortugal 3–2 in the quarter-final,[98] and won their semi-final againstTurkey.[99]Germany lost thefinal against Spain 1–0, finishing as runners-up.[100]
At the 2010 World Cup, Germany won the group and advanced to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Germany defeatedEngland 4–1.[101] Miroslav Klose tiedGerd Müller's record of 14 World Cup goals,[102] as Germany defeatedArgentina 4–0 in the quarterfinals.[103] In the semi-finals, Germany lost 1–0 toSpain.[104] They defeated Uruguay 3–2 to finish third.[105]Thomas Müller won the Golden Boot and theBest Young Player Award.[106][107]
At Euro 2012, Germany was placed inGroup B along with Portugal,Netherlands, andDenmark. Germany won all three group matches, and then defeated Greece in the quarter-finals as they set a record of 15 consecutive wins in all competitive matches.[108] In the semi-finals, Germany lost to Italy, 2–1.
Germany were placed inGroup G of the 2014 World Cup,[109] withPortugal,Ghana, and theUnited States. They first faced Portugal in a match billed by some as the "team of all the talents against the team of The Talent (Cristiano Ronaldo)", routing the Portuguese 4–0 thanks to a hat-trick by Thomas Müller.[110][111] In their match with Ghana, they led the game before Ghana fought back to take the lead. When Klose scored to level the match at 2–2, he netted his 15th World Cup goal to join former Brazil strikerRonaldo at the pinnacle of World Cup Finals scorers. They then went on to defeat the Klinsmann-led United States 1–0, securing them a spot in the knockout stages.
The round of 16 knockout match against Algeria remained goalless after regulation time, resulting in an extra time period whereAndré Schürrle scored from a Thomas Müller pass after only less than two minutes.Mesut Özil scored Germany's second goal in the 120th minute with the match ending 2–1. In thequarter-finals againstFrance,Mats Hummels scored the only goal in the 13th minute, as Germany advanced to a record fourth consecutive semi-final.[112]
The7–1 semi-final win againstBrazil was one of the most memorable games in World Cup history; Germany scored four goals in just less than seven minutes and were 5–0 up by the 30th minute with goals from Thomas Müller, Miroslav Klose, Sami Khedira and two from Toni Kroos. Germany's 7–0 lead in the second half was the highest score against Brazil in a single game. It was Brazil's worst ever World Cup defeat,[113] whilst Germany broke multiple World Cup records with the win, including the record broken by Klose, the first team to reach four consecutive World Cup semi-finals, the first team to score seven goals in a World Cup knockout phase game, the fastest five consecutive goals in World Cup history (with four of the goals scored in just 400 seconds), and the first team to score five goals in the first half in a World Cup semi-final.[114]
TheWorld Cup final was held at theMaracanã in Rio de Janeiro on 13 July.[115][116]Mario Götze's 113th-minute goal helped Germany beat Argentina 1–0, becoming the first-ever European team to win a FIFA World Cup in the Americas and the second European team to win the title outside Europe.[117][118]
After several players retired from the team following the 2014 World Cup, includingPhilipp Lahm,Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose, the team had a disappointing start in theUEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers. They defeatedScotland 2–1 at home, then suffered a 2–0 loss atPoland (the first in their history), a 1–1 draw against theRepublic of Ireland, and a 4–0 win overGibraltar. Troubles during qualifying for Euro 2016 continued, drawing at home, as well as losing away to Ireland; the team also only narrowly defeated Scotland on two occasions, but handily won the return against Poland and both games against Gibraltar (who competed for the first time). They would eventually win theirgroup and qualify for the tournament.
On 13 November 2015, Germany played a friendly againstFrance in Paris whena series of terrorist attacks took place in the city, some in the direct vicinity of theStade de France, where the game was held.[119] For security reasons, the team spent the night inside the stadium, accompanied by the French squad who stayed behind in an act of comradery.[120] Four days later, Germany was scheduled to facethe Netherlands atHanover'sHDI-Arena, in another friendly. After initial security reservations, the DFB decided to play the match on 15 November.[121] After reports about a concrete threat to the stadium, the match was cancelled 90 minutes before kickoff.[122]
AtUEFA Euro 2016, Germany began their campaign with a 2–0 win against Ukraine. Against Poland, Germany were held to a 0–0 draw but concluded Group C play with a 1–0 win against Northern Ireland. In the round of 16, Germany faced Slovakia and earned a comfortable 3–0 win. Germany then faced off againstrivals Italy in the quarter-finals.Mesut Özil opened the scoring in the 65th minute for Germany, beforeLeonardo Bonucci equalised after netting a penalty thirteen minutes later. The score remained 1–1 after extra time, and Germany beat Italy 6–5 in a penalty shootout. It was the first time Germany had overcome Italy in a major tournament.[123][124] The Germans lost to hosts France 2–0 in the semi-finals, their first competitive win against Germany in 58 years.[125]
Fans inHamburg watching the match between Germany and South Korea
After winning all their qualifying matches and the Confederations Cup the previous year, Germany started their2018 World Cup campaign with a defeat toMexico, their first loss in an opening match since the1982 World Cup.[127] Germany defeatedSweden 2–1 in their second game via an injury-time winner fromToni Kroos, but were subsequently eliminated following a 2–0 loss toSouth Korea, their first exit in the first round since 1938 and first in the group stage since the format had been reintroduced in 1950. With this result Germany became the fifth defending champions to be eliminated in the group stages of the World Cup, followingBrazil in 1966,France in 2002,Italy in 2010, andSpain in 2014.[128][129]
Following the World Cup, Germany's struggles continued into theinaugural UEFA Nations League. After a 0–0 draw at home againstFrance, they lost 3–0 against theNetherlands[130] and 2–1 in the rematch against France three days later; the latter result being their fourth loss in six competitive matches.[131] Due to results elsewhere, the relegation to League B was originally confirmed, but due to the overhaul of the format for the2020–21 UEFA Nations League, Germany were spared from relegation to League B.[132]
At Euro 2020 (delayed until 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic), Germany were drawn with World Cup champions France (to whom they lost 1–0) and reigning European champions Portugal (whom they defeated 4–2), with each group having only two guaranteed qualifiers for the next phase, plus a chance for the third-placed team. In the final group match, the Hungarians took the lead twice only to draw. Germany then lost 2–0 to England in theround of 16, their first round of 16 exit in a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup.[136]
Following Germany's disappointment at Euro 2020,Hansi Flick, formerBayern Munich manager, took over as coach of the national team. On 11 October 2021, Germany beat North Macedonia 4–0 to become the first team (outside of the hosts) to qualify for the2022 World Cup in Qatar.[137] In the2022–23 Nations League, Germany recorded their first-ever competitive win against Italy as the Germans beat the visitors 5–2. This was Germany's fourth game and first win in the league, however the Germans finished third in the group.[138]
Germany during the2022 FIFA World Cup. The players covered their mouths in protest of FIFA's ban of pro-LGBTQ+ armbands.[139]
At the 2022 World Cup, Germany were drawn intoGroup E withSpain,Japan andCosta Rica. The campaign started with a shock 2–1 defeat to Japan.[140] Germany drew 1–1 with Spain,[141] and then were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage for the second consecutive tournament, despite a 4–2 win over Costa Rica, missing out on a place in the knockout stages on goal difference.[142]
After several poor performances following Germany's World Cup exit – including a 4–1 home loss to Japan – Flick was dismissed on 10 September 2023.[143] On 22 September 2023,Julian Nagelsmann was named the new head coach.[144] After a rocky end to 2023, only winning one out of four games, Germany found itself back in form in the new year with a second victory againstFrance and the Netherlands, strengthening hopes for a successfulUEFA Euro 2024 campaign.[145][146]
As hosts of Euro 2024, Germany won the tournament's opening match against Scotland 5–1.[147] Germany went on to defeatHungary 2–0 in their second match to qualify for theround of 16.[148] After defeatingDenmark in the round of 16, Germany went on to the quarter-finals, where they were defeated 2–1 after extra time bySpain.[149]
The national team's home kit has been traditionally a white shirt, black shorts, and white socks. The colours are derived fromthe 19th-century flag of the North German State of Prussia.[150] Since 1988, many of the home kit's designs incorporate details patterned after the modern German flag. For the 2014 World Cup, Germany's kit was white shorts rather than the traditional black due to FIFA's kit clashing rule for the tournament.[151] The away shirt colour has changed several times. Historically, a green shirt with white shorts is the most often used alternative colour combination, derived from the DFB colours – though it is often erroneously reported that the choice is in recognition of the fact thatIreland, whose home shirts are green, were the first nation to play Germany in a friendly game after World War II. However, the first team to play Germany after WWII, as stated above, was actually Switzerland.[152] Other colours such as red, grey and black have also been used.
A change from black to red came in 2005 on the request ofJürgen Klinsmann,[153] but Germany played every game at the 2006 World Cup in its home white colours. In 2010, the away colours then changed back to a black shirt and white shorts, but at the World Cup, the team dressed up in the black shorts from the home kit. The kit used by Germany returned to a green shirt on its away kit, but then changed again to red-and-black striped shirts with white stripes and letters and black shorts.
Adidas AG is the longstandingkit provider to the national team, a sponsorship that began in 1954 and is contracted to continue until at least 2022.[154] In the 70s, Germany wore Erima kits (a German brand, formerly a subsidiary of Adidas).[155][27] In March 2024,Nike was announced as the new kit sponsor after 70 years of Adidas, causing widespread criticism and backlash.[156]
As a common practice, three stars were added above the crest in 1996, symbolising Germany's World Cup titles in 1954, 1974, and 1990. In 2014, a fourth star was added after Germany were crowned world champions for the fourth time.
Germany plays its home matches among various stadiums, in rotation, around the country. They have played home matches in 43 different cities so far, including venues that were German at the time of the match, such asVienna, Austria, which staged three games between 1938 and 1942.
National team matches have been held most often inBerlin (46 matches), which was the venue of Germany's first home match (in 1908 againstEngland). Other common host cities includeHamburg (34 matches),Stuttgart (32),Hanover (28) andDortmund.Munich also hosted noteworthy matches including the1974 World Cup final.
Media coverage
As of January 2025, Germany's broadcasts for friendlies rotate betweenRTL,ARD andZDF, while UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, UEFA Nations League games, and major tournaments are on ARD and ZDF.[166]
ChampionsRunners-up Third place Tournament played fully or partially on home soil
Germany has won theFIFA World Cup four times, behind onlyBrazil's five.[181] It has finished as runners-up four times.[181] In terms of semi-final appearances, Germany leads with 13, two more than Brazil's 11, who have participated in every single tournament.[181] From 1954 to 2014 (16 tournaments), Germany were one of the last eight teams, before being eliminated in the group stage in 2018.[181] Germany has also qualified for every one of the 19 World Cups for which it has entered – it did not enter the inaugural competition in Uruguay in1930 foreconomic reasons, and were banned from the1950 World Cup as the DFB was reinstated as a FIFA member only two months after this tournament.
Germany has also won theEuropean Championship three times, one less thanSpain.France andItaly, with two titles each, are the only other multiple winners. Germany finished as runners-up three times.[182] The Germans have qualified for every European Championship tournament except for the first European Championship they entered in1968.[182] For that tournament, Germany was in the only group of three teams and thus only played four qualifying games. The deciding game was a scoreless draw inAlbania which gave Yugoslavia the edge, having won in their neighbour country. The team finished outside the top eight in only three occasions: group stage eliminations in2000[183] and2004[184] alongside a round of 16 exit in2020. In the other editions Germany participated in, they reached at least the semi-finals nine times, an unparalleled record in Europe.
See alsoEast Germany andSaarland for the results of these separate Germany teams, andAustria for the team that was merged into the Germany national team from 1938 to 1945.
^In Germany, the team is typically referred to asDie Nationalmannschaft (The national team),DFB-Team,DFB-Elf (DFB eleven),DFB-Auswahl (DFB selection) orNationalelf (National eleven). Whereas in foreign media, they are regularly described asDie Mannschaft (The Team).[1] As of June 2015, this was acknowledged by the DFB as official branding of the team.[2] In July 2022 the German Football Association abolished this branding as an official nickname,[3] due to rejection by many German fans.[4]
^This match is not considered to be a full international by theEnglish FA, and does not appear in the records of theEngland team.
^By Germany national team (asWest Germany from 1950 to 1990).
^Although there was nothird-place play-off match, UEFA decided to award the defeated semi-finalists of Euro 2012 with bronze medals.[10]
^In early times it was simply called"die 11 besten Spieler von Deutschland" or just"die Bundesauswahl" (the Federation XI). Tags like"National team" or"National XI" weren't introduced until after World War I
^Since 1992, Olympic football has been a tournament for the U23 national football teams
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