The Germany national football team German Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft represents Germany in men s international f

Medal record
Summer Olympic Games

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 (20 June 2024)
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)
First international
	Switzerland 5–3 Germany ; (Basel, Switzerland; 5 April 1908)
Biggest win
	Germany 16–0 Russian Empire ; (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	14 (first in 1972)
Best result	Champions (1972, 1980, 1996)
Summer Olympic Games
Appearances	13 (first in 1912)
Best result	Gold Medal (1976)
FIFA Confederations Cup
Appearances	3 (first in (1999))
Best result	Champions (2017)
Medal record
FIFA World Cup
UEFA European Championship
Summer Olympic Games
FIFA Confederations Cup
Website	DFB.de (in German)

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 FIFA 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 in 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 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)

Germany national team at its first official international match in 1908

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.

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 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

(**Helmut Rahn**) scored the winning goal in the 1954 FIFA World Cup final.

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

The (**1974 FIFA World Cup Final**) on 7 July, in Munich's Olympiastadion

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

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, three 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 , the first time in the World Cup that a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament.

Fans watching Germany play against Argentina in the 2006 World Cup match at the Donau Arena in Regensburg

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 .

Germany during (**Euro 2012 qualifiers**)

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 lifting the World Cup trophy in 2014

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

Germany posing with Champions banner after (**2014 FIFA World Cup Final**)

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 Maracanã 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

Fans in Hamburg watching the match between Germany and South Korea

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 , their first round of 16 exit in a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup.

Further decline under Flick (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.

Current years (2023–present)

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

After a rocky rest of 2023, only winning one out of four games, Germany found itself back to its form in the new year with a second victory against France, where (Florian Wirtz) scored Germany's fastest goal to date at just seven seconds in. This was followed by a 2–1 win over traditional (rivals) the Netherlands, further strengthening hopes for a successful UEFA Euro 2024 campaign at home.

As hosts of Euro 2024, Germany won the tournament's opening match against Scotland with a score of 5–1, allowing zero shots on goal throughout the entire game; the team's only conceded goal was an own goal scored inadvertently by (Antonio Rüdiger). Germany went on to defeat Hungary with a score of 2–0 in their second match, becoming the first team to secure its spot in the tournament's (round of 16).

Team image

Kits and crest

The (**2006 World Cup**) saw a widespread public display of the German national flag.

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). In March 2024, Nike was announced as the new kit sponsor after 70 years of Adidas, causing widespread criticism and backlash.

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	1950–1964	Germany wore Leuzela kits during the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
(Umbro)	1964–1971	Germany wore Umbro kits during the 1966 and 1970 FIFA World Cups.
	1971–1980	Erima was a subsidiary of Adidas in the 1970s.
Adidas	1980–2026	First Adidas jersey was worn in the (UEFA Euro 1980 final).
Nike	2027–2034

Kit deals

Kit supplier	Period	Contract		Notes
Kit supplier	Period	Announcement	Duration	Notes
Adidas	1954–2026	20 June 2016	2019–2022 (4 years)	Per year: €50 million ($56.7 million) Total: €250 million ($283.5 million)
Adidas	1954–2026	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

9 September 2023 Friendly	Germany	1–4	Japan	Wolfsburg
20:45 CEST ()	(Sané) 19'	Report	(Ito) 11' (Ueda) 22' (Asano) 90' (Tanaka) 90+2'	Stadium: (Volkswagen Arena) Attendance: 24,980 Referee: (João Pinheiro) (Portugal)

12 September 2023 Friendly	Germany	2–1	France	Dortmund
21:00 CEST ()	Müller 4' (Sané) 87'	Report	(Griezmann) 89' (pen.)	Stadium: (Westfalenstadion) Attendance: 60,486 Referee: (Anthony Taylor) (England)

14 October 2023 Friendly	United States	1–3	Germany	East Hartford
15:00 EDT (UTC−04:00)	(Pulisic) 27'	Report	Gündoğan 39' (Füllkrug) 58' Musiala 61'	Stadium: Attendance: 37,743 Referee: (Fernando Guerrero) (Mexico)

17 October 2023 Friendly	Mexico	2–2	Germany	Philadelphia, United States
20:00 EDT (UTC−04:00)	(Antuna) 37' (Sánchez) 47'	Report	(Rüdiger) 25' (Füllkrug) 51'	Stadium: (Lincoln Financial Field) Attendance: 62,284 Referee: (United States)

18 November 2023 Friendly	Germany	2–3	Turkey	Berlin
20:45 CET ()	Havertz 5' (Füllkrug) 48'	Report	(Kadıoğlu) 38' Yıldız 45+2' (Sarı) 70' (pen.)	Stadium: Olympiastadion Attendance: 72,592 Referee: Bartosz Frankowski (Poland)

21 November 2023 Friendly	Austria	2–0	Germany	Vienna
20:45 CET ()	(Sabitzer) 29' (Baumgartner) 73'	Report		Stadium: (Ernst-Happel-Stadion) Attendance: 46,000 Referee: (Slavko Vinčić) (Slovenia)

2024

23 March 2024 Friendly	France	0–2	Germany	Décines-Charpieu
21:00 CET ()		Report	(Wirtz) 1' Havertz 49'	Stadium: Parc Olympique Lyonnais Attendance: 56,000 Referee: (Jesús Gil Manzano) (Spain)

26 March 2024 Friendly	Germany	2–1	Netherlands	Frankfurt
20:45 CET ()	(Mittelstädt) 11' (Füllkrug) 85'	Report	(Veerman) 4'	Stadium: (Waldstadion) Attendance: 48,390 Referee: (Espen Eskås) (Norway)

3 June 2024 Friendly	Germany	0–0	(Ukraine)	Nuremberg
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: (Max-Morlock-Stadion) Attendance: 42,789 Referee: (Austria)

7 June 2024 Friendly	Germany	2–1	Greece	Mönchengladbach
20:45 CEST ()	Havertz 56' (Groß) 89'	Report	(Masouras) 34'	Stadium: Borussia-Park Attendance: 45,488 Referee: (José Luis Munuera Montero) (Spain)

14 June 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Group A)	Germany	5–1	Scotland	Munich
21:00 CEST ()	(Wirtz) 10' Musiala 19' Havertz 45+1' (pen.) (Füllkrug) 68' (Can) 90+3'	Report	(Rüdiger) 87' (o.g.)	Stadium: Allianz Arena Attendance: 65,052 Referee: (Clément Turpin) (France)

19 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group A	Germany	2–0	Hungary	Stuttgart
18:00 CEST ()	Musiala 22' Gündoğan 67'	Report		Stadium: (MHPArena) Attendance: 54,000 Referee: (Danny Makkelie) (Netherlands)

23 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group A	Switzerland	1–1	Germany	Frankfurt, Germany
21:00 CEST ()	Ndoye 28'	Report	(Füllkrug) 90+2'	Stadium: (Waldstadion) Attendance: 46,685 Referee: (Daniele Orsato) (Italy)

29 June 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16)	Germany	2–0	Denmark	Dortmund
21:00 CEST ()	Havertz 53' (pen.) Musiala 68'	Report		Stadium: (Westfalenstadion) Attendance: 61,612 Referee: (Michael Oliver) (England)

5 July 2024 (UEFA Euro 2024 Quarter-finals)	Spain	v	Germany	Stuttgart, Germany
18:00 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: (MHPArena) Referee: (Anthony Taylor) (England)

7 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Germany	v	Hungary	Düsseldorf
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: (Merkur Spiel-Arena)

10 September 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Netherlands	v	Germany	Amsterdam
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: Johan Cruyff Arena

11 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	(Bosnia and Herzegovina)	v	Germany	(Zenica)
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: (Bilino Polje Stadium)

14 October 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Germany	v	Netherlands	Munich
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: Allianz Arena

16 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Germany	v	(Bosnia and Herzegovina)	Freiburg
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: (Europa-Park Stadion)

19 November 2024 2024–25 UEFA Nations League	Hungary	v	Germany	Budapest
20:45 CEST ()		Report		Stadium: Puskás Aréna

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 UEFA Euro 2024.

Information correct as of 29 June 2024, after the match against Denmark.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	(Manuel Neuer)	(1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 38)	123	0	Bayern Munich
12	1GK	(Oliver Baumann)	(1990-06-02) 2 June 1990 (age 34)	0	0	(TSG Hoffenheim)
22	1GK	Marc-André ter Stegen	(1992-04-30) 30 April 1992 (age 32)	40	0	Barcelona

2	2DF	(Antonio Rüdiger)	(1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 (age 31)	73	3	Real Madrid
3	2DF	(David Raum)	(1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 26)	23	0	RB Leipzig
4	2DF	(Jonathan Tah)	(1996-02-11) 11 February 1996 (age 28)	28	0	Bayer Leverkusen
6	2DF	(Joshua Kimmich)	(1995-02-08) 8 February 1995 (age 29)	90	6	Bayern Munich
15	2DF	(Nico Schlotterbeck)	(1999-12-01) 1 December 1999 (age 24)	14	0	Borussia Dortmund
16	2DF	Waldemar Anton	(1996-07-20) 20 July 1996 (age 27)	3	0	VfB Stuttgart
18	2DF	(Maximilian Mittelstädt)	(1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 27)	7	1	VfB Stuttgart
20	2DF	(Benjamin Henrichs)	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 27)	16	0	RB Leipzig
24	2DF	(Robin Koch)	(1996-07-17) 17 July 1996 (age 27)	9	0	(Eintracht Frankfurt)

5	3MF	(Pascal Groß)	(1991-06-15) 15 June 1991 (age 33)	8	1
8	3MF	(Toni Kroos)	(1990-01-04) 4 January 1990 (age 34)	113	17	Real Madrid
10	3MF	Jamal Musiala	(2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 21)	33	5	Bayern Munich
11	3MF	(Chris Führich)	(1998-01-09) 9 January 1998 (age 26)	5	0	VfB Stuttgart
17	3MF	(Florian Wirtz)	(2003-05-03) 3 May 2003 (age 21)	22	2	Bayer Leverkusen
19	3MF	(Leroy Sané)	(1996-01-11) 11 January 1996 (age 28)	64	13	Bayern Munich
21	3MF	İlkay Gündoğan (captain)	(1990-10-24) 24 October 1990 (age 33)	81	19	Barcelona
23	3MF	(Robert Andrich)	(1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 29)	9	0	Bayer Leverkusen
25	3MF	(Emre Can)	(1994-01-12) 12 January 1994 (age 30)	46	2	Borussia Dortmund

7	4FW	Kai Havertz	(1999-06-11) 11 June 1999 (age 25)	50	18	Arsenal
9	4FW	(Niclas Füllkrug)	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 31)	20	13	Borussia Dortmund
13	4FW	Thomas Müller	(1989-09-13) 13 September 1989 (age 34)	130	45	Bayern Munich
14	4FW	(Maximilian Beier)	(2002-10-17) 17 October 2002 (age 21)	2	0	(TSG Hoffenheim)
26	4FW	(Deniz Undav)	(1996-07-19) 19 July 1996 (age 27)	3	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	(Alexander Nübel)	(1996-09-30) 30 September 1996 (age 27)	0	0	VfB Stuttgart	UEFA Euro 2024 ^PRE
GK	(Bernd Leno)	(1992-03-04) 4 March 1992 (age 32)	9	0	(Fulham)	v. Netherlands, 26 March 2024
GK	(Kevin Trapp)	(1990-07-08) 8 July 1990 (age 33)	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 28)	49	1	Borussia Dortmund	v. Austria, 21 November 2023
DF	(Robin Gosens)	(1994-07-05) 5 July 1994 (age 29)	20	2	(Union Berlin)	v. Turkey, 18 November 2023
DF	(Malick Thiaw)	(2001-08-08) 8 August 2001 (age 22)	3	0	Milan	v. Turkey, 18 November 2023

MF	(Aleksandar Pavlović)	(2004-05-03) 3 May 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Bayern Munich	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	(Rocco Reitz)	(2002-05-29) 29 May 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Borussia Mönchengladbach	v. (Ukraine), 3 June 2024
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 31)	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 23)	1	0	Borussia Dortmund	v. Turkey, 18 November 2023 ^INJ

FW	(Brajan Gruda)	(2004-05-31) 31 May 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Mainz 05	v. (Ukraine), 3 June 2024
FW	(Serge Gnabry)	(1995-07-14) 14 July 1995 (age 28)	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
^INJWithdrew due to injury ^PREPreliminary squad

Individual records

Player records

As of 29 June 2024

Players in bold are still active with Germany.

This list does not include players who represented East Germany.

Most capped players

Lothar Matthäus is Germany's most capped player with 150 appearances.

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Period
1	Lothar Matthäus	150	23	1980–2000
2	Miroslav Klose	137	71	2001–2014
3	Thomas Müller	130	45	2010–present
3	(Lukas Podolski)	130	49	2004–2017
5	(Manuel Neuer)	123	0	2009–present
6	(Bastian Schweinsteiger)	121	24	2004–2016
7	(Philipp Lahm)	113	5	2004–2014
7	(Toni Kroos)	113	17	2010–present
9	Jürgen Klinsmann	108	47	1987–1998
10	(Jürgen Kohler)	105	2	1986–1998

Top goalscorers

Miroslav Klose is Germany's all-time top scorer with 71 goals.

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
4	Jürgen Klinsmann	47	108	0.44	1987–1998
6	(Karl-Heinz Rummenigge)	45	95	0.47	1976–1986
6	Thomas Müller	45	130	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	1987–1995	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		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)

Medal record
Summer Olympic Games
	1976 Montreal	(Team)
	(1980 Moscow)	(Team)
	(1964 Tokyo)	(Team)
	(1972 Munich)	(Team)
	1988 Seoul	(Team)