- Confederation UEFA
- First WC Appearance 1934
- Captain Joshua Kimmich
- Manager Julian Nagelsmann
Germany have underwhelmed at the past two World Cups, after lifting the trophy in 2014.
Die Mannschaft will be hoping their current crop of young stars can end the poor run of consecutive group stage exits.
Get all the latest Germany stats as the tournament unfolds plus the latest squad, manager and fixture information for the European side here.
Germany route to the World Cup
Germany had a pretty straightforward route to the World Cup. They always do. Die Mannschaft have only lost four games in World Cup qualifying history.
One of them did come en route to the 2026 World Cup, though. Die Mannschaft started their qualifying campaign with a defeat, losing to Slovakia. It came after a delayed start to qualifying, due to Germany’s participation at the Uefa Nations League finals — where they had lost both matches.
But Germany recovered. They won their next five games to finish top of qualifying Group A, three points clear of second-placed Slovakia. They thrashed Slovakia 6-0 in their final group game, knowing defeat could have seen them fall to the play-offs.
Germany World Cup 2026 fixtures
Germany start their 2026 World Cup campaign against debutants Curacao on 14th June 2026, a game they will be heavy favourites for. They then face Ivory Coast on 20th June 2026 and will hope to potentially wrap up qualification by that point. Die Mannschaft close the group against Ecuador on 25th June.
Germany key players for World Cup 2026
Germany top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Nick Woltemade
- Key stat: Nick Woltemade has scored four goals in eight appearances for Germany.
Nick Woltemade looks set to be the latest man tasked with leading Germany’s line. Germany have tested a number of strikers in recent years, and they’ve all had their moments. But none have stuck. Niclas Fullkrug looked to be the man before injury hit. Now the responsibilities have fallen to Woltemade, who thrived at Under-21 level for Germany. He has a decent record for the senior team too, scoring four in eight. And he looks to have found his feet with Newcastle United. A good season in England can set Woltemade up for a strong World Cup.
Germany primary playmaker: Florian Wirtz
- Key stat: Florian Wirtz created 20 chances for Germany in 2026 World Cup qualifying, six of which were big chances.
Florian Wirtz has come under a lot of scrutiny for his performances for Liverpool, not least because of the money spent on him. And the criticisms aren’t unfounded. But he’s been a different beast for Germany. The Liverpool midfielder created 20 chances during qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, more than any other Germany player. They came at an average of 3.42 chances created per 90 minutes, with 1.03 of those being big chances. It translated to two assists too, a joint-high among the Germany squad.
Germany card magnets & top tacklers: David Raum
- Key stat: David Raum averaged 1.34 tackles per 90 minutes in 2026 World Cup qualifying.
As a team that usually control possession, Germany’s top tackler in World Cup qualifying only had seven tackles. And David Raum’s tackles came at an average of 1.34 per 90, which isn’t much. Not to mention Germany did well to avoid cards in qualifying. Raum has, however, averaged 0.24 yellow cards per 90 in the Bundesliga this season, alongside 1.79 tackles for RB Leipzig.
Germany rising star: Aleksandar Pavlovic
Die Mannschaft have a host of exciting young players in their squad, under the age of 25. But in terms of rising stars, Aleksandar Pavlovic is the most likely to make it to the World Cup. The Bayern Munich midfielder will be 22 by the time Germany travel to the World Cup, and looks to be the future of the German midfield. He is a frequent starter at the base of Bayern’s midfield and is the long-term successor for Joshua Kimmich.
Germany set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Joshua Kimmich
- Free kicks: David Raum
- Corners: David Raum, Florian Wirtz
- Bet £10 get £30
- Excellent Football Betting Options
- Extensive Bet-Builder
- Multi-Award Winning Bookmaker
New customers can sign up using bonus code SQUAWKA365, bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration Required. This code is for marketing and tracking purposes only. #Ad.
- Enhanced Offers
- Request A Bet Feature
- Vast selection of sports markets
#AD 18+ New customers only. £10 minimum deposit. First single, e/w or multiples bet only. Odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 x £10 bet tokens for Football BuildABets only. 2 x £10 bet tokens for Football Accas only. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free Bets are non-withdrawable. Free Bets expire after 7 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.
Germany tactical analysis and formation
Germany team stats (average per game from last four matches):
- Corners: 6.0
- Shots on target: 6.75
- Shots on target conceded: 1.75
- Offsides: 1.0
Julian Nagelsmann clearly has his favourites, with Germany having a pretty settled starting XI. Pavlovic has played his way into the base of Germany’s midfield, with Kimmich the first-choice at right-back. Alexander Baumann is now first-choice goalkeeper following Manuel Neuer’s retirement, though Marc-Andre ter Stegen will want to fight for that spot when fit. It’ll be a similar case for Jamal Musiala, should he be back from injury.
Germany manager analysis
Julian Nagelsmann was the one tasked with replacing Hansi Flick after his unsuccessful attempt at being Joachim Low’s successor. He had a rocky start to managing Germany but look to have them on the up. Under Nagelsmann’s lead, Germany reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, only falling to eventual winners Spain after extra-time. And there was a bit of controversy in the defeat too.
There was then a successful Uefa Nations League group stage campaign, finish ahead of the Netherlands. Germany made it to the semi-finals in the slightly altered format, but then fell to a fourth-placed finish. Another poor patch followed, but Germany are once again on a winning run. And Nagelsmann will be confident he can continue into next summer.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Nagelsmann | Germany | 29 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 64 | 29 | 58.62 |
Germany World Cup FAQs
Have Germany ever won the World Cup?
Germany have won the World Cup four times, the second-most of any nation in the competition’s history. Three of those triumphs came as West Germany, with the fourth and most recent success coming in 2014.
Where did Germany finish in the last World Cup?
Germany bowed out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in spectacular fashion. They lost their first game to Japan and drew the second with Spain. A 4-2 win over Costa Rica in the final match was not enough to send Germany through, as Die Mannschaft finished behind Spain on goal difference.
Who will be Germany captain at the World Cup?
Joshua Kimmich is Germany’s current captain. He took the armband in 2024 from Ilkay Gundogan, who had previous replaced Manuel Neuer.
Who is Germany’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?
Miroslav Klose has scored 16 goals at the World Cup, more than any other Germany player. In fact, it’s more than any other player in World Cup history.
Read more: