Germany national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Germany

Nickname(s)	DFB-Team (DFB Team) Nationalelf (National Eleven) DFB-Elf (DFB Eleven) Die Mannschaft (The Team)
Association	Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB)
Confederation	UEFA
Head coach	Julian Nagelsmann
Captain	İlkay Gündoğan
Most caps	Lothar Matthäus (150)
Top scorer	Miroslav Klose (71)
Home stadium	Various
FIFA code	GER
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	16 (7 February 2019)
Highest	1 (December 1992 – August 1993, December 1993 – March 1994, June 1994, July 2014 – June 2015, July 2017, September 2017 – June 2018)
Lowest	22 (March 2006)
Elo ranking
Current	9 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest	1 (1990–92, 1993–94, 1996–97, July 2014 – May 2016, October 2017 – November 2017)
Lowest	24 (September 1924 – October 1925)
First international
Switzerland 5–3 Germany  (Basel, Switzerland; 5 April 1908)
Biggest win
Germany 16–0 Russia  (Stockholm, Sweden; 1 July 1912)
Biggest defeat
England Amateurs 9–0 Germany  (Oxford, England; 13 March 1909)
World Cup
Appearances	20 (first in 1934)
Best result	Champions (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
European Championship
Appearances	13 (first in 1972)
Best result	Champions (1972, 1980, 1996)
Summer Olympic Games
Appearances	13 (first in 1912)
Best result	Gold Medal (1976)
Confederations Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 1999)
Best result	Champions (2017)
Medal record FIFA World Cup Gold 1954 Switzerland Team Gold 1974 West Germany Team Gold 1990 Italy Team Gold 2014 Brazil Team Silver 1966 England Team Silver 1982 Spain Team Silver 1986 Mexico Team Silver 2002 South Korea–Japan Team Bronze 1934 Italy Team Bronze 1970 Mexico Team Bronze 2006 Germany Team Bronze 2010 South Africa Team UEFA European Championship Gold 1972 Belgium Team Gold 1980 Italy Team Gold 1996 England Team Silver 1976 Yugoslavia Team Silver 1992 Sweden Team Silver 2008 Austria–Switzerland Team Bronze 1988 West Germany (s.f.) Team Bronze 2012 Poland–Ukraine (s.f.) Team Bronze 2016 France (s.f.) Team Summer Olympic Games Gold 1976 Montreal Team Silver 1980 Moscow Team Bronze 1964 Tokyo Team Bronze 1972 Munich Team Bronze 1988 Seoul Team FIFA Confederations Cup Gold 2017 Russia Team Bronze 2005 Germany Team
Website	DFB.de

The Germany national football team (German: Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft) represents Germany in men's international football and played its first match in 1908. The team is governed by the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund), founded in 1900. Between 1949 and 1990, separate German national teams were recognised by FIFA due to Allied occupation and division: the DFB's team representing the Federal Republic of Germany (commonly referred to as West Germany in English between 1949 and 1990), the Saarland team representing the Saar Protectorate (1950–1956) and the East Germany team representing the German Democratic Republic (1952–1990). The latter two were absorbed along with their records; the present team represents the reunified Federal Republic. The official name and code "Germany FR (FRG)" was shortened to "Germany (GER)" following reunification in 1990.

Germany is one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, having won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), tied with Italy, and only one less than the most successful team, Brazil. Having won three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996) Germany is along with Spain the record holder in that international competition. Germany won also a Confederations Cup (2017). 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. East Germany won Olympic Gold in 1976. Germany is also one of the only two nations to have won both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup (the other being Spain). 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 highest Elo rating of any national football team in history, with 2,223 points. Germany is also the only European nation that has won a FIFA World Cup in the Americas.

History

Early years (1899–1942)

On 18 April 1897, an early international game on German soil was played in Hamburg when a selection team from the Danish Football Association defeated a selection team from the Hamburg-Altona Football Association, 5–0.

Between 1899 and 1901, prior to the formation of a national team, there were five international matches between Germany and English selection teams, which are today not recognised as official by either nation's football association (in part because England fielded their amateur side, which was an overflow or B team). All five matches ended in large defeats for the Germany teams, including a 12–0 loss at White Hart Lane in September 1901. Eight years after the establishment of the German Football Association (DFB) in 1900, the first official match of the Germany national football team was played on 5 April 1908, against Switzerland in Basel, with the Swiss winning 5–3. A follow-up to the earlier series between England Amateurs and Germany occurred in March 1909 at Oxford's White House Ground 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 the FA, again due to the amateur side being fielded). These early confrontations formed the beginning of the rich rivalry between the two teams: one of the longest and most enduring international rivalries in football.

Julius Hirsch was the first Jewish player to represent the Germany national football team, which he joined in 1911. Hirsch scored four goals for Germany against the Netherlands in 1912, becoming the first German to score four goals in a single match.

Gottfried Fuchs scored a world record 10 goals for Germany in a 16–0 win against Russia at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm on 1 July, becoming the top scorer of the tournament; his international record was not surpassed until 2001 when Australia's Archie Thompson scored 13 goals in a 31–0 defeat of American Samoa. He was Jewish, and the German Football Association erased all references to him from their records between 1933 and 1945. As of 2016, he was still the top German scorer for one match.

At that time the players were selected by the DFB, as there was no dedicated coach. The first manager of the Germany national team was Otto Nerz, a school teacher from Mannheim, who served in the role from 1926 to 1936. The German FA could not afford travel to Uruguay for the first World Cup staged in 1930 during the Great Depression, but finished third in the 1934 World Cup in their first appearance in the competition. After a poor showing at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Sepp Herberger became coach. In 1937 he put together a squad which was soon nicknamed the Breslau Elf (the Breslau Eleven) in recognition of their 8–0 win over Denmark in the then German city of Breslau, Lower Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland).

After Austria became part of Germany in the Anschluss of March 1938, the Austrian national team – one of Europe's best sides at the time due to professionalism – was disbanded despite having already qualified for the 1938 World Cup. Nazi politicians ordered five or six ex-Austrian players, from the clubs Rapid Vienna, Austria Vienna, and First 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 the 2018 tournament, and it would be repeated in 2022.

During World 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 as Rote Jäger through the efforts of a sympathetic air force officer trying to protect the footballers from the most dangerous wartime service.

Three Germany 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, and Saarland – entered the 1950 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, with the latter qualifying for the 1954 World Cup and the former hosting it.

The Saarland, a French protectorate between 1947 and 1956, did not join French organisations, and was barred from participating in pan-German ones. It sent their own team to the 1952 Summer Olympics and to the 1954 World Cup qualifiers. In 1957, Saarland acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany.

In 1949, the communist German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was founded. In 1952 the Deutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR (DFV) was established and the East Germany national football team took to the field. They were the only team to beat the 1974 FIFA World Cup winning West Germans in the only meeting of the two sides of the divided nation. East Germany won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. After German reunification in 1990, the eastern football competition was reintegrated into the DFB.

1954 World Cup victory

West Germany, captained by Fritz Walter, met in the 1954 World Cup against Turkey, Yugoslavia and Austria. When playing favourites Hungary in the group stage, West Germany lost 3–8, and faced the Hungarian "Mighty Magyars" again in the final. Hungary had gone unbeaten for 32 consecutive matches, and West Germany snapped the streak by winning 3–2, with Helmut Rahn scoring the winning goal. The success is called "The Miracle of Bern" (Das Wunder von Bern).

Memorable losses: Wembley goal and game of the century (1958–1970)

After finishing fourth in the 1958 World Cup and reaching only the quarter-finals in the 1962 World Cup, the DFB made changes. Professionalism was introduced, and the best clubs from the various Regionalligas were assembled into the new Bundesliga. In 1964, Helmut Schön took over as coach, replacing Herberger who had been in office for 28 years.

In the 1966 World Cup, West Germany reached the final after beating the USSR in the semi-final, facing hosts England. In extra time, the first goal by Geoff 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.

West Germany in the 1970 World Cup knocked England out in the quarter-finals 3–2, before they suffered a 4–3 extra-time loss in the semi-final against Italy. 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. West Germany claimed third by beating Uruguay 1–0. Gerd Müller finished as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals.

1974 World Cup title on home soil

In 1971, Franz Beckenbauer became captain of the national team, and he led West Germany to victory at the European Championship at Euro 1972, defeating the Soviet Union 3–0 in the final.

As hosts of the 1974 World Cup, they won their second World Cup, defeating the Netherlands 2–1 in the final in Munich. 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 against East 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. The West Germans advanced to the final against the Johan Cruyff-led Dutch team and their brand of "Total Football". The Dutch took the lead from a penalty. However, West Germany tied the match on a penalty by Paul Breitner, and won it with Gerd Müller's fine finish soon after.

Late 1970s and early 1980s

West Germany failed to defend their titles in the next two major international tournaments. They lost to Czechoslovakia in the UEFA Euro 1976 final in a penalty shootout 5–3, their last penalty shootout loss in a major tournament as of 2022.

In the 1978 World Cup, Germany was eliminated in the second group stage after losing 3–2 to Austria. 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 at Euro 1980 after defeating Belgium 2–1 in the final. West Germany started the 1982 World Cup with a 1–2 upset by newcomers Algeria in their first match, but advanced to the second round with a controversial 1–0 win over Austria. In the semi-final against France, they tied the match 3–3 and won the penalty shootout 5–4. In the final, they were defeated by Italy 1–3.

During this period, West Germany's Gerd 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 by Ronaldo in 2006; this was then further broken by Miroslav Klose in 2014 with 16 goals.

Beckenbauer's managing success (1984–1990)

After West Germany were eliminated in the first round of Euro 1984, Franz Beckenbauer returned to the national team to replace Derwall as manager. At the 1986 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 the Diego Maradona-led Argentina in the final, 2–3. In Euro 1988, after drawing Italy 1–1 and beating both Denmark and Spain 2–0 in the group stage, West Germany's hopes of winning the tournament on home soil were spoiled by the Netherlands, as the Dutch beat them 2–1 in the semi-finals.

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, West Germany won their third World Cup title, in its unprecedented third consecutive final appearance. Captained by Lothar Matthäus, they defeated Yugoslavia (4–1), UAE (5–1), the Netherlands (2–1), Czechoslovakia (1–0), and England (1–1, 4–3 on penalty kicks) on the way to a final rematch against Argentina in Rome. West Germany won 1–0, with the only goal being a penalty scored in the 85th minute by Andreas Brehme. 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, and the second to win as player and manager, after Mario Zagallo of Brazil.

Olympic football

Medal record
Summer Olympic Games
Gold	1976 Montreal	Team
Silver	1980 Moscow	Team
Bronze	1964 Tokyo	Team
Bronze	1972 Munich	Team
Bronze	1988 Seoul	Team

East Germany did however achieve significantly greater success in Olympic football than the amateur teams fielded by the Western NOC of Germany due to using its elite players from the top domestic league. In 1956, 1960, and 1964 both states had sent a United Team of Germany. For 1964, 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 in 1972 in Munich, gold in 1976 in Montreal, and silver in 1980 in Moscow.

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. The first medal coming in the 1988 Olympics, when they won the bronze medal after beating Italy 3–0 in the 3rd place match. West Germany also reached the second round in both 1972 and 1984. 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).

Berti Vogts years (1990–1998)

In February 1990, months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany and West Germany were drawn together in UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying Group 5. In November 1990, the East German association Deutscher 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. The East German 1990–91 league continued, with a restructuring of German leagues in 1991–92. The first game with a unified Germany national team was against Switzerland on 19 December.

After the 1990 World Cup, assistant Berti Vogts took over as the national team coach from the retiring Beckenbauer. In Euro 1992, Germany reached the final, but lost 0–2 to underdogs Denmark. In the 1994 World Cup, they were upset 1–2 in the quarterfinals by Bulgaria.

Reunified Germany won its first major international title at Euro 1996, becoming European champions for the third time. They defeated hosts England in the semi-finals, and the Czech Republic 2–1 in the final on a golden goal in extra time.

However, in the 1998 World Cup, Germany were eliminated in the quarterfinals in a 0–3 defeat to Croatia, all goals being scored after defender Christian Wörns received a straight red card. Vogts stepped down afterwards and was replaced by Erich Ribbeck.

Erich Ribbeck and Rudi Völler years (2000–2004)

In Euro 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). Ribbeck resigned, and was replaced by Rudi Völler.

Coming into the 2002 World Cup, expectations of Germany were low due to poor results in the qualifiers, and not directly qualifying for the finals for the first time. The team advanced through group play, and in the knockout stages they produced three consecutive 1–0 wins against Paraguay, the United States, and co-hosts South Korea. Oliver Neuville scored two minutes from time against Paraguay and Michael Ballack scored both goals in the US and South Korea games, although he picked up a second yellow card against South Korea for a tactical foul and was suspended for the subsequent match. This set up a final against Brazil, the first World Cup meeting between the two. Germany lost 0–2 thanks to two Ronaldo goals. Nevertheless, German captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn won the Golden Ball, the first time in the World Cup that a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament.

Germany once again exited in the first round at Euro 2004, drawing their first two matches and losing the third to the Czech Republic (who had fielded a second-string team). Völler resigned afterwards, and Jürgen Klinsmann was appointed head coach.

Resurgence under Klinsmann (2004–2006)

Klinsmann's main task was to lead the national team to a good showing at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He relieved goalkeeper Kahn of the captaincy and announced that Kahn and longtime backup Jens Lehmann would be competing for the position of starting goaltender, a decision that angered Kahn and Lehmann eventually won that contest. Expectations for the team were low, which was not helped by veteran defender Christian 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 was ranked only 22nd in the world entering the 2006 World Cup.

As World Cup hosts, Germany won all three group stage matches to finish top of their group. The team defeated Sweden 2–0 in the round of 16, and Argentina in the quarter-finals in a penalty shootout. The semi-final against Italy was scoreless until near the end of extra time when Germany conceded two goals. In the third place match, Germany defeated Portugal 3–1. Miroslav Klose was awarded the Golden Boot for his tournament-leading five goals.

Löw era (2006–2021)

Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012

Germany's entry into the Euro 2008 qualifying round was marked by the promotion of Joachim Löw to head coach, since Klinsmann resigned. At UEFA Euro 2008, Germany won two out of three matches in group play to advance to the knockout round. They defeated Portugal 3–2 in the quarterfinal, and won their semi-final against Turkey. Germany lost the final against Spain 0–1, finishing as the runners-up.

In the 2010 World Cup, Germany won the group and advanced to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Germany defeated England 4–1. The game controversially had a valid goal by Frank Lampard disallowed. In the quarter-finals, Germany defeated Argentina 4–0, and Miroslav Klose tied German Gerd Müller's record of 14 World Cup goals. In the semi-final, Germany lost 1–0 to Spain. Germany defeated Uruguay 3–2 to take third place (their second third place after 2006). German Thomas Müller won the Golden Boot and the Best Young Player Award.

In Euro 2012, Germany was placed in group B along with Portugal, Netherlands, and Denmark. Germany won all three group matches. Germany defeated Greece in the quarter-final and set a record of 15 consecutive wins in all competitive matches. In the semi-finals, Germany lost to Italy, 1–2.

2014 World Cup victory

Germany were placed in Group G of the 2014 World Cup, with Portugal, Ghana, and the United 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. In their match with Ghana, they led the game with Götze's second half goal, but then conceded two consecutive goals. Klose scored a goal to level Germany 2–2, his 15th World Cup goal to join former Brazil striker Ronaldo 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 round of sixteen against Algeria.

The round of sixteen knockout match against Algeria remained goalless after regulation time, resulting in extra time. In the 92nd minute, André Schürrle scored a goal from a Thomas Müller pass. Mesut Özil scored Germany's second goal in the 120th minute. Algeria managed to score one goal in injury time and the match ended 2–1. Germany secured a place in the quarter-final, where they would face France.

In the quarter-final match against France, Mats Hummels scored in the 13th minute. Germany won the game 1–0 to advance to a record fourth consecutive semi-finals.

The 7–1 semi-final win against Brazil 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 in the second half was the highest score against Brazil in a single game. Germany conceded a late goal to Brazil's Oscar. It was Brazil's worst ever World Cup defeat, 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 Finals knockout phase game, the fastest five consecutive goals in World Cup history (four of which in just 400 seconds), and the first team to score five goals in the first half in a World Cup semi-final.

The World Cup final was held at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on 13 July, and billed as the world's best player (Lionel Messi) versus the world's best team (Germany). 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.

Euro 2016 to 2017 Confederations Cup

After several players retired from the team following the 2014 World Cup win, including Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose, the team had a disappointing start in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers. They defeated Scotland 2–1 at home, then suffered a 2–0 loss at Poland (the first in their history), a 1–1 draw against the Republic of Ireland, and a 4–0 win over Gibraltar. The year ended with an away 1–0 friendly win against Spain.

Troubles during qualifying for the 2016 European Championship 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 their group and qualify for the tournament through a 2–1 victory against Georgia on 11 October 2015.

On 13 November 2015, Germany played a friendly against France in Paris when a series of terrorist attacks took place in the city, some in the direct vicinity of the Stade de France, where the game was held. For security reasons, the team spent the night inside the stadium, accompanied by the French squad who stayed behind in an act of comradery. Four days later, Germany was scheduled to face the Netherlands at Hanover's HDI-Arena, in another friendly. After initial security reservations, the DFB decided to play the match on 15 November. After reports about a concrete threat to the stadium, the match was cancelled 90 minutes before kickoff.

At UEFA Euro 2016, Germany began their campaign for a fourth European title with a 2–0 win against Ukraine. Against Poland, Germany was 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 against rivals Italy in the quarter-finals. Mesut Özil opened the scoring in the 65th minute for Germany, before Leonardo Bonucci drew even after converting a penalty in the 78th minute. 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. The Germans lost to hosts France 2–0 in the semi-finals, their first competitive win against Germany in 58 years.

Germany qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup after winning the 2014 World Cup, and won the last version of the Confederations Cup after a 1–0 win against Chile in the final at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Disappointment at the 2018 World Cup, 2018–19 UEFA Nations League and Euro 2020

After winning all their qualifying matches and the Confederations Cup the previous year, Germany started their 2018 World Cup campaign with a defeat to Mexico, their first loss in an opening match since the 1982 World Cup. Germany defeated Sweden 2–1 in their second game via an injury-time winner from Toni Kroos, but was subsequently eliminated following a 2–0 loss to South 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, following Brazil in 1966, France in 2002, Italy in 2010, and Spain in 2014.

Following the World Cup, Germany's struggles continued into the inaugural UEFA Nations League. After a 0–0 draw at home against France, they lost 3–0 against the Netherlands and 1–2 in the rematch against France three days later; the latter result being their fourth loss in six competitive matches. These results meant that Germany could not advance to the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals and faced the prospect of possible relegation to League B in the next Nations League.

After the Netherlands' win against France, the relegation to League B was originally confirmed, but due to the overhaul of the format for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, Germany was spared from relegation to League B.

In March 2021, the DFB announced that Löw would step down as Germany's manager after UEFA Euro 2020. Later that month, Germany lost 1–2 at home to North Macedonia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, their first World Cup qualification defeat since losing 5–1 to England in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers and only their third in history. On 25 May 2021, the DFB announced that former assistant manager Hansi Flick will replace Löw as head coach.

At Euro 2020 (delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-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, albeit with the help of two Portuguese own goals), 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 the round of 16, their first round of 16 exit in a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup.

New era (2021–2023)

Following Germany's disappointment at Euro 2020, Hansi Flick, former Bayern Munich manager, took over as coach of the national team. Success only followed from there, as Germany went on to beat Liechtenstein, Armenia, Iceland, Romania and North Macedonia in a month's succession. On 11 October 2021, Germany beat North Macedonia 4–0 to become the first team (outside of the hosts) to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In the 2022–23 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.

In the 2022 World Cup, Germany were drawn into Group E with Spain, Japan and Costa Rica. The campaign started with a shock 2–1 defeat to Japan. Germany drew 1–1 with Spain, 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.

After several poor performances following Germany's World Cup exit – including a 1–4 home loss to Japan – Flick was dismissed on 10 September 2023, while Rudi Völler took interim charge of the team, leading the team to a 2–1 victory over France.

On 22 September 2023, Julian Nagelsmann was named the new head coach.

Team image

Kits and crest

The national team's home kit has been traditionally a white shirt, black shorts, and white socks. The colours are derived from the 19th-century flag of the North German State of Prussia. 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. 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 that Ireland, 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. Other colours such as red, grey and black have also been used.

A change from black to red came in 2005 on the request of Jürgen Klinsmann, 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 longstanding kit provider to the national team, a sponsorship that began in 1954 and is contracted to continue until at least 2022. In the 70s, Germany wore Erima kits (a German brand, formerly a subsidiary of Adidas).

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.

Kit suppliers

Kit supplier	Period	Notes
Leuzela	unknown–1954	Germany wore Leuzela kits during the 1954 FIFA World Cup
Umbro	1966–1970	Germany wore Umbro kits during the 1966 and 1970 FIFA World Cups
Adidas	1954–2026	In the 1970s, Germany wore Erima kits (a German brand, formerly a subsidiary of Adidas).
Nike	2027–2034

Kit deals

Kit supplier	Period	Contract		Notes
		Announcement	Duration
Adidas	1954–2026	20 June 2016	2019–2022 (4 years)	Per year: €50 million ($56.7 million) Total: €250 million ($283.5 million)
		10 September 2018	2023–2026 (4 years)	Undisclosed
Nike	2027–2034	21 March 2024	2027–2034 (8 years)	Per year: €100 million ($108 million)

Home stadium

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 as Vienna, Austria, which staged three games between 1938 and 1942.

National team matches have been held most often in Berlin (46 matches), which was the venue of Germany's first home match (in 1908 against England). Other common host cities include Hamburg (34 matches), Stuttgart (32), Hanover (28) and Dortmund. Munich also hosted noteworthy matches including the 1974 World Cup final.

Media coverage

Germany's qualifying and friendly matches are televised by privately owned RTL; Nations League by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

Friendly 12 June 2023	Germany	3–3	Ukraine	Bremen
18:00 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Füllkrug  6' Havertz  83' Kimmich  90+1' (pen.)	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2351984	Tsyhankov  19', 56' Rüdiger  23' (o.g.)	Stadium: Weserstadion Attendance: 35,795 Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Greece)

Friendly 16 June 2023	Poland	1–0	Germany	Warsaw
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Kiwior  31'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2351985		Stadium: Stadion Narodowy Attendance: 57,098 Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Israel)

Friendly 20 June 2023	Germany	0–2	Colombia	Gelsenkirchen
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2351986	Díaz  54' Cuadrado  82' (pen.)	Stadium: Arena AufSchalke Attendance: 50,421 Referee: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)

Friendly 9 September 2023	Germany	1–4	Japan	Wolfsburg
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Sané  19'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2352498	Ito  11' Ueda  22' Asano  90' Tanaka  90+2'	Stadium: Volkswagen Arena Attendance: 24,980 Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal)

Friendly 12 September 2023	Germany	2–1	France	Dortmund
21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00)	Müller  4' Sané  87'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2352499	Griezmann  89' (pen.)	Stadium: Westfalenstadion Attendance: 60,486 Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)

Friendly 14 October 2023	United States	1–3	Germany	East Hartford
15:00 EDT (UTC−04:00)	Pulisic  27'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2352500	Gündoğan  39' Füllkrug  58' Musiala  61'	Stadium: Pratt & Whitney Stadium Attendance: 37,743 Referee: Fernando Guerrero (Mexico)

Friendly 17 October 2023	Mexico	2–2	Germany	Philadelphia, United States
20:00 EDT (UTC−04:00)	Antuna  37' Sánchez  47'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2361504	Rüdiger  25' Füllkrug  51'	Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field Attendance: 62,284 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (United States)

Friendly 18 November 2023	Germany	2–3	Turkey	Berlin
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)	Havertz  5' Füllkrug  48'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2366665	Kadıoğlu  38' Yıldız  45+2' Sarı  70' (pen.)	Stadium: Olympiastadion Attendance: 72,592 Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (Poland)

Friendly 21 November 2023	Austria	2–0	Germany	Vienna
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)	Sabitzer  29' Baumgartner  73'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2363526		Stadium: Ernst-Happel-Stadion Attendance: 46,000 Referee: Slavko Vinčić (Slovenia)

2024

Friendly 23 March 2024	France	0–2	Germany	Décines-Charpieu
21:00 CET (UTC+01:00)		https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2371155	Wirtz  1' Havertz  49'	Stadium: Parc Olympique Lyonnais Attendance: 56,000 Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain)

Friendly 26 March 2024	Germany	2–1	Netherlands	Frankfurt
20:45 CET (UTC+01:00)	Mittelstädt  11' Füllkrug  85'	https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2371156	Veerman  4'	Stadium: Waldstadion Attendance: 48,390 Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)

Friendly 3 June 2024	Germany	v	Ukraine	Nuremberg
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2374259		Stadium: Max-Morlock-Stadion

Friendly 7 June 2024	Germany	v	Greece	Mönchengladbach
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.dfb.de/die-mannschaft/spiele-termine/?spieledb_path=%2Fmatches%2F2374260		Stadium: Borussia-Park

UEFA Euro 2024 Group A 14 June 2024	Germany	v	Scotland	Munich
21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2036161/		Stadium: Allianz Arena

UEFA Euro 2024 Group A 19 June 2024	Germany	v	Hungary	Stuttgart
18:00 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2036173/		Stadium: MHPArena

UEFA Euro 2024 Group A 23 June 2024	Switzerland	v	Germany	Frankfurt, Germany
21:00 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/match/2036185/		Stadium: Waldstadion

2024–25 UEFA Nations League 7 September 2024	Germany	v	Hungary
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040064/

2024–25 UEFA Nations League 10 September 2024	Netherlands	v	Germany
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040089/

2024–25 UEFA Nations League 11 October 2024	Bosnia and Herzegovina	v	Germany
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040107/

2024–25 UEFA Nations League 14 October 2024	Germany	v	Netherlands
20:45 CEST (UTC+02:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040134/

2024–25 UEFA Nations League 16 November 2024	Germany	v	Bosnia and Herzegovina
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040168/

2024–25 UEFA Nations League 19 November 2024	Hungary	v	Germany
20:45 CEST (UTC+01:00)		https://www.uefa.com/uefanationsleague/match/2040194/

Coaching staff

As of March 2024.

Position	Name
Head coach	Julian Nagelsmann
Assistant coaches	Mads Buttgereit Benjamin Glück Sandro Wagner
Goalkeeping coaches	Michael Fuchs Andreas Kronenberg
Fitness coach	Nicklas Dietrich
Athletic coach	Krunoslav Banovcic
Doctor	Tim Meyer
Sporting director	Rudi Völler

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendly matches against France and the Netherlands on 23 and 26 March 2024, respectively.

Information correct as of 26 March 2024, after the match against the Netherlands.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
12	1GK	Bernd Leno	(1992-03-04) 4 March 1992 (age 32)	9	0	Fulham
22	1GK	Marc-André ter Stegen	(1992-04-30) 30 April 1992 (age 32)	40	0	Barcelona
24	1GK	Oliver Baumann	(1990-06-02) 2 June 1990 (age 34)	0	0	TSG Hoffenheim
2	2DF	Antonio Rüdiger	(1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 (age 31)	68	3	Real Madrid
3	2DF	David Raum	(1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 26)	20	0	RB Leipzig
4	2DF	Jonathan Tah	(1996-02-11) 11 February 1996 (age 28)	23	0	Bayer Leverkusen
6	2DF	Joshua Kimmich	(1995-02-08) 8 February 1995 (age 29)	84	6	Bayern Munich
15	2DF	Robin Koch	(1996-07-17) 17 July 1996 (age 28)	8	0	Eintracht Frankfurt
16	2DF	Waldemar Anton	(1996-07-20) 20 July 1996 (age 28)	1	0	VfB Stuttgart
18	2DF	Maximilian Mittelstädt	(1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 27)	2	1	VfB Stuttgart
20	2DF	Benjamin Henrichs	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 27)	14	0	RB Leipzig
5	3MF	Pascal Groß	(1991-06-15) 15 June 1991 (age 33)	5	0	Brighton & Hove Albion
8	3MF	Toni Kroos	(1990-01-04) 4 January 1990 (age 34)	108	17	Real Madrid
10	3MF	Jamal Musiala	(2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 21)	27	2	Bayern Munich
11	3MF	Chris Führich	(1998-01-09) 9 January 1998 (age 26)	3	0	VfB Stuttgart
17	3MF	Florian Wirtz	(2003-05-03) 3 May 2003 (age 21)	16	1	Bayer Leverkusen
21	3MF	İlkay Gündoğan (captain)	(1990-10-24) 24 October 1990 (age 34)	75	18	Barcelona
23	3MF	Robert Andrich	(1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 30)	3	0	Bayer Leverkusen
7	4FW	Kai Havertz	(1999-06-11) 11 June 1999 (age 25)	44	15	Arsenal
9	4FW	Niclas Füllkrug	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 31)	15	11	Borussia Dortmund
13	4FW	Thomas Müller	(1989-09-13) 13 September 1989 (age 35)	128	45	Bayern Munich
14	4FW	Maximilian Beier	(2002-10-17) 17 October 2002 (age 22)	0	0	TSG Hoffenheim
26	4FW	Deniz Undav	(1996-07-19) 19 July 1996 (age 28)	1	0	VfB Stuttgart

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team within the last twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Manuel Neuer	(1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 38)	117	0	Bayern Munich	v.  France, 23 March 2024 INJ
GK	Kevin Trapp	(1990-07-08) 8 July 1990 (age 34)	9	0	Eintracht Frankfurt	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
GK	Janis Blaswich	(1991-05-02) 2 May 1991 (age 33)	0	0	RB Leipzig	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
DF	Jan-Niklas Beste	(1999-01-04) 4 January 1999 (age 25)	0	0	1. FC Heidenheim	v.  France, 23 March 2024 INJ
DF	Mats Hummels	(1988-12-16) 16 December 1988 (age 35)	78	5	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
DF	Niklas Süle	(1995-09-03) 3 September 1995 (age 29)	49	1	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
DF	Robin Gosens	(1994-07-05) 5 July 1994 (age 30)	20	2	Union Berlin	v.  Turkey, 18 November 2023
DF	Malick Thiaw	(2001-08-08) 8 August 2001 (age 23)	3	0	Milan	v.  Turkey, 18 November 2023
DF	Nico Schlotterbeck	(1999-12-01) 1 December 1999 (age 24)	11	0	Borussia Dortmund	v.  France, 12 September 2023
DF	Matthias Ginter	(1994-01-19) 19 January 1994 (age 30)	51	2	SC Freiburg	v.  Colombia, 20 June 2023
DF	Thilo Kehrer	(1996-09-21) 21 September 1996 (age 28)	27	0	Monaco	v.  Colombia, 20 June 2023
DF	Marius Wolf	(1995-05-27) 27 May 1995 (age 29)	5	0	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Colombia, 20 June 2023
DF	Lukas Klostermann	(1996-06-03) 3 June 1996 (age 28)	22	0	RB Leipzig	v.  Poland, 16 June 2023
MF	Aleksandar Pavlović	(2004-05-03) 3 May 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Bayern Munich	v.  France, 23 March 2024 INJ
MF	Leroy Sané	(1996-01-11) 11 January 1996 (age 28)	59	13	Bayern Munich	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
MF	Leon Goretzka	(1995-02-06) 6 February 1995 (age 29)	57	14	Bayern Munich	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
MF	Julian Brandt	(1996-05-02) 2 May 1996 (age 28)	47	3	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
MF	Jonas Hofmann	(1992-07-14) 14 July 1992 (age 32)	23	4	Bayer Leverkusen	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
MF	Grischa Prömel	(1995-01-09) 9 January 1995 (age 29)	0	0	TSG Hoffenheim	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
MF	Felix Nmecha	(2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Turkey, 18 November 2023 INJ
MF	Emre Can	(1994-01-12) 12 January 1994 (age 30)	43	1	Borussia Dortmund	v.  France, 12 September 2023
FW	Serge Gnabry	(1995-07-14) 14 July 1995 (age 29)	45	22	Bayern Munich	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
FW	Marvin Ducksch	(1994-03-07) 7 March 1994 (age 30)	2	0	Werder Bremen	v.  Austria, 21 November 2023
FW	Kevin Behrens	(1991-02-03) 3 February 1991 (age 33)	1	0	VfL Wolfsburg	v.  Mexico, 18 October 2023
FW	Kevin Schade	(2001-11-27) 27 November 2001 (age 22)	3	0	Brentford	v.  France, 12 September 2023
FW	Timo Werner	(1996-03-06) 6 March 1996 (age 28)	57	24	Tottenham Hotspur	v.  Poland, 16 June 2023
INJ Withdrew due to injury

Individual records

Player records

Players in bold are still active with Germany.

This list does not include players who represented East Germany.

Most capped players

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Period
1	Lothar Matthäus	150	23	1980–2000
2	Miroslav Klose	137	71	2001–2014
3	Lukas Podolski	130	49	2004–2017
4	Thomas Müller	128	45	2010–present
5	Bastian Schweinsteiger	121	24	2004–2016
6	Manuel Neuer	117	0	2009–present
7	Philipp Lahm	113	5	2004–2014
8	Jürgen Klinsmann	108	47	1987–1998
	Toni Kroos		17	2010–present
10	Jürgen Kohler	105	2	1986–1998

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Average	Period
1	Miroslav Klose (list)	71	137	0.52	2001–2014
2	Gerd Müller (list)	68	62	1.1	1966–1974
3	Lukas Podolski	49	130	0.38	2004–2017
4	Rudi Völler	47	90	0.52	1982–1994
	Jürgen Klinsmann		108	0.44	1987–1998
6	Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	45	95	0.47	1976–1986
	Thomas Müller		128	0.35	2010–present
8	Uwe Seeler	43	72	0.6	1954–1970
9	Michael Ballack	42	98	0.43	1999–2010
10	Oliver Bierhoff	37	70	0.53	1996–2002

Captains

Player	Period	Notes
Fritz Szepan	1934–1939
Paul Janes	1939–1942
Fritz Walter	1951–1956	First official captain of the West Germany national football team World Cup winning captain (1954)
Hans Schäfer	1952–1962	First West German player to play in three World Cup tournaments (1954, 1958, 1962)
Helmut Rahn	1958–1959
Herbert Erhardt	1959–1962
Hans Schäfer	1962
Uwe Seeler	1962–1970
Wolfgang Overath	1970–1972
Franz Beckenbauer	1972–1977	European Championship winning captain (1972) World Cup winning captain (1974)
Berti Vogts	1977–1978
Sepp Maier	1978–1979
Bernard Dietz	1979–1981	European Championship winning captain (1980)
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge	1981–1986
Harald Schumacher	1986
Klaus Allofs	1986–1987
Lothar Matthäus	1988–1994	World Cup winning captain (1990) First captain of the unified Germany national football team
Jürgen Klinsmann	1995–1998	European Championship winning captain (1996)
Oliver Bierhoff	1998–2001
Oliver Kahn	2001–2004
Michael Ballack	2004–2010
Philipp Lahm	2010–2014	World Cup winning captain (2014)
Bastian Schweinsteiger	2014–2016
Manuel Neuer	2016–2017, 2017–2023
Julian Draxler	2017	Confederations Cup winning captain (2017)
İlkay Gündoğan	2023–present

Player of the Year

• 2010: Bastian Schweinsteiger
• 2011: Mesut Özil
• 2012: Mesut Özil
• 2013: Mesut Özil
• 2014: Toni Kroos
• 2015: Mesut Özil
• 2016: Mesut Özil
• 2017: Joshua Kimmich
• 2018: Marco Reus
• 2019: Matthias Ginter
• 2020: Manuel Neuer
• 2021: Joshua Kimmich
• 2022: Jamal Musiala
• 2023: Emre Can

Manager records

Most manager appearances

Joachim Löw: 198

Team records

15 consecutive wins in all competitive matches (world record)

Date	Opponent	Venue		Result	Type	Scorers
10 July 2010	Uruguay	Port Elizabeth, RSA	*	3–2	WC 2010 3rd place	Müller  19', Jansen  56', Khedira  82'
3 September 2010	Belgium	Brussels, BEL	A	1–0	EC 2012 Qualification	Klose  51'
7 September 2010	Azerbaijan	Köln	H	6–1	EC 2012 Qualification	Westermann  28', Podolski  45+1', Klose  45+2', 90+2', Sadygov  53' (o.g.), Badstuber  86'
8 October 2010	Turkey	Berlin	H	3–0	EC 2012 Qualification	Klose  42', 87', Özil  79'
12 October 2010	Kazakhstan	Astana, KAZ	A	3–0	EC 2012 Qualification	Klose  48', Gómez  76', Podolski  85'
26 March 2011	Kazakhstan	Kaiserslautern	H	4–0	EC 2012 Qualification	Klose  3', 88', Müller  25', 43'
3 June 2011	Austria	Vienna, AUT	A	2–1	EC 2012 Qualification	Gómez  44', 90'
7 June 2011	Azerbaijan	Baku, AZE	A	3–1	EC 2012 Qualification	Özil  30', Gómez  41', Schürrle  90+3'
2 September 2011	Austria	Gelsenkirchen	H	6–2	EC 2012 Qualification	Klose  8', Özil  23', 47', Podolski  28', Schürrle  83', Götze  88'
7 October 2011	Turkey	Istanbul, TUR	A	3–1	EC 2012 Qualification	Gómez  35', Müller  66', Schweinsteiger  86' (pen.)
11 October 2011	Belgium	Düsseldorf	H	3–1	EC 2012 Qualification	Özil  30', Schürrle  33', Gómez  48'
9 June 2012	Portugal	Lviv, UKR	*	1–0	EC 2012 Group	Gómez  72'
13 June 2012	Netherlands	Kharkiv, UKR	*	2–1	EC 2012 Group	Gómez  24', 38'
17 June 2012	Denmark	Lviv, UKR	*	2–1	EC 2012 Group	Podolski  19', Bender  80'
22 June 2012	Greece	Gdańsk, POL	*	4–2	EC 2012 Quarter final	Lahm  39', Khedira  61', Klose  68', Reus  74'

Competitive record

• 1930–1938 as → →  Germany
• 1950–1990 as  West Germany
• 1994–present as  Germany

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place     Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

Germany has won the FIFA World Cup four times, behind only Brazil's five. It has finished as runners-up four times. In terms of semi-final appearances, Germany leads with 13, two more than Brazil's 11, who have participated in every single tournament. From 1954 to 2014 (16 tournaments), Germany reached at least the stage of the last eight teams, before being eliminated in the group stage in 2018. 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 in 1930 for economic reasons, and were banned from the 1950 World Cup as the DFB was reinstated as a FIFA member only two months after this tournament.

Germany has also won the European Championship three times, the joint-most with Spain. France and Italy, with two titles each, are the only other multiple winners. Germany finished as runners-up three times. The Germans have qualified for every European Championship tournament except for the first European Championship they entered in 1968. 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 in Albania 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 in 2000 and 2004 alongside a round of 16 exit in 2020. In the other editions Germany participated in they reached at least the semi-finals nine times, an unparalleled record in Europe.

See also East Germany and Saarland for the results of these separate Germany teams, and Austria for the team that was merged into the Germany national team from 1938 to 1945.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup finals record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Campaign
1930	Did not enter										Did not enter						—
1934	Third place	3rd	4	3	0	1	11	8	Squad		1	1	0	0	9	1	1934
1938	First round	10th	2	0	1	1	3	5	Squad		3	3	0	0	11	1	1938
1950	Banned from entering										Banned from entering						1950
1954	Champions	1st	6	5	0	1	25	14	Squad		4	3	1	0	12	3	1954
1958	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	12	14	Squad		Qualified as defending champions						1958
1962	Quarter-finals	7th	4	2	1	1	4	2	Squad		4	4	0	0	11	5	1962
1966	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	1	1	15	6	Squad		4	3	1	0	14	2	1966
1970	Third place	3rd	6	5	0	1	17	10	Squad		6	5	1	0	20	3	1970
1974	Champions	1st	7	6	0	1	13	4	Squad		Qualified as hosts						1974
1978	Second group stage	6th	6	1	4	1	10	5	Squad		Qualified as defending champions						1978
1982	Runners-up	2nd	7	3	2	2	12	10	Squad		8	8	0	0	33	3	1982
1986	Runners-up	2nd	7	3	2	2	8	7	Squad		8	5	2	1	22	9	1986
1990	Champions	1st	7	5	2	0	15	5	Squad		6	3	3	0	13	3	1990
1994	Quarter-finals	5th	5	3	1	1	9	7	Squad		Qualified as defending champions						1994
1998		7th	5	3	1	1	8	6	Squad		10	6	4	0	23	9	1998
2002	Runners-up	2nd	7	5	1	1	14	3	Squad		10	6	3	1	19	12	2002
2006	Third place	3rd	7	5	1	1	14	6	Squad		Qualified as hosts						2006
2010		3rd	7	5	0	2	16	5	Squad		10	8	2	0	26	5	2010
2014	Champions	1st	7	6	1	0	18	4	Squad		10	9	1	0	36	10	2014
2018	Group stage	22nd	3	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		10	10	0	0	43	4	2018
2022		17th	3	1	1	1	6	5	Squad		10	9	0	1	36	4	2022
Total	4 titles	20/22	112	68	21*	23	232	130			104	83	18	3	328	74	Total

*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
1992	did not enter
1995	did not qualify
1997	did not enter
1999	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	2	6	Squad
2001	did not qualify
2003	did not enter
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	1 title	3/10	13	8	2	3	29	22

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Campaign
1960	Did not enter										Did not enter
1964
1968	Did not qualify										4	2	1	1	9	2	1968
1972	Champions	1st	2	2	0	0	5	1	Squad		8	5	3	0	13	3	1972
1976	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	1*	0	6	4	Squad		8	4	4	0	17	5	1976
1980	Champions	1st	4	3	1	0	6	3	Squad		6	4	2	0	17	1	1980
1984	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	2	2	Squad		8	5	1	2	15	5	1984
1988	Semi-finals	3rd	4	2	1	1	6	3	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1992	Runners-up	2nd	5	2	1	2	7	8	Squad		6	5	0	1	13	4	1992
1996	Champions	1st	6	4	2*	0	10	3	Squad		10	8	1	1	27	10	1996
2000	Group stage	15th	3	0	1	2	1	5	Squad		8	6	1	1	20	4	2000
2004		12th	3	0	2	1	2	3	Squad		8	5	3	0	13	4	2004
2008	Runners-up	2nd	6	4	0	2	10	7	Squad		12	8	3	1	35	7	2008
2012	Semi-finals	3rd	5	4	0	1	10	6	Squad		10	10	0	0	34	7	2012
2016		3rd	6	3	2*	1	7	3	Squad		10	7	1	2	24	9	2016
2020	Round of 16	15th	4	1	1	2	6	7	Squad		8	7	0	1	30	7	2020
2024	Qualified as hosts										Qualified as hosts
Total	3 Titles	14/17	53	27	13*	13	78	55	—		106	76	20	10	267	68	Total

*Denotes draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
League phase													Finals
Season	LG	Grp	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK		Year	Pos	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad
2018–19	A	1	3rd	4	0	2	2	3	7		11th		2019	Did not qualify
2020–21	A	4	2nd	6	2	3	1	10	13		8th		2021
2022–23	A	3	3rd	6	1	4	1	11	9		10th		2023
2024–25	A	3	To be determined										2025	To be determined
Total				16	3	9	4	24	29	8th			Total		0	0	0	0	0	0	—

*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Honours

Major competitions

FIFA World Cup

• Champions: 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
• Runners-up: 1966, 1982, 1986, 2002
• Third place: 1934, 1970, 2006, 2010

UEFA European Championship

• Champions: 1972, 1980, 1996
• Runners-up: 1976, 1992, 2008
• Third place: 1988, 2012, 2016

Summer Olympic Games

• Gold Medal: 1976
• Silver Medal: 1980,
• Bronze Medal: 1964, 1972, 1988

FIFA Confederations Cup

• Champions: 2017
• Third place: 2005

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	1	3	1
FIFA Confederations Cup	1	0	1	0
UEFA Nations League	0	0	0	0
Total	9	8	11	2

Minor competitions

U.S. Cup

• Champions: 1993

Swiss Centenary Tournament

• Champions: 1995

Four Nations Tournament

• Third place: 1988

Azteca 2000 Tournament

• Third place: 1985

Awards

FIFA Team of the Year

• Winners: 1993, 2014, 2017

FIFA World Cup Fair Play Trophy

• Winners: 1974

FIFA World Cup Most Entertaining Team

• Winners: 2010

FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award

• Winners: 2017

Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year

• Winners: 2015

World Soccer World Team of the Year

• Winners: 1990, 2014

Gazzetta Sports World Team of the Year

• Winners: 1980, 1990, 2014

German Sports Team of the Year

• Winners: 1966, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014

Unofficial Football World Championships

• Winners: 31 times

Silbernes Lorbeerblatt

• Winners: 1954, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1990, 1996, 2014

Bambi Award

• Winners: 1986, 1996

Deutscher Fernsehpreis

• Winners: 2010

Golden Hen

• Winners: 2006, 2010, 2014

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Alemania para niños

• Germany national football team results
• Germany national football team manager
• Germany Olympic football team
• Germany national under-21 football team
• Germany national youth football team (includes U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19 and U-20 squads)
• Germany women's national football team
• East Germany national football team
• East Germany Olympic football team
• Germany–England
• Germany–France
• Germany–Italy
• Germany–Netherlands