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	Joshua Kimmich
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 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	8 (first in 1912)
Best result	Bronze medal (1988)
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 Olympics Games Bronze 1988 Seoul Team FIFA Confederations Cup Gold 2017 Russia Team Bronze 2005 Germany Team

The Germany national football team represents Germany in men's international soccer games. The team is managed by the German Football Association (DFB), which was started in 1900. Their first match was played in 1908.

Between 1949 and 1990, Germany was divided. Because of this, there were separate national teams. The DFB's team represented West Germany. There was also a team for Saarland (1950–1956) and East Germany (1952–1990). After Germany became one country again in 1990, the teams joined together. The current team represents the united Germany.

Germany is one of the most successful national teams in the world. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times: in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014. This is the same number of wins as Italy, and only one less than Brazil, who have won five times. Germany has also won the European Championship three times (1972, 1980, 1996). They are second only to Spain, who have won four times. In 2017, Germany also won the FIFA Confederations Cup.

The team has been runners-up three times in the European Championship and four times in the World Cup. They have also finished third four times in the World Cup. East Germany won an Olympic Gold medal in 1976. Germany is one of only two countries to have won both the men's and women's FIFA World Cups. When you add up all World Cup wins for both men's and women's teams, Germany has six titles. This makes them the most successful football nation in history.

History of German Football

Early Years (1899–1942)

Before a national team was officially formed, some international games were played in Germany. On April 18, 1897, a Danish team beat a Hamburg team 5–0. Between 1899 and 1901, German teams played against English teams. These games are not officially recognized today. Germany lost all five matches, including a 12–0 loss in 1901.

The German Football Association (DFB) was founded in 1900. Eight years later, on April 5, 1908, the first official German national team match took place. They played against Switzerland in Basel, and Switzerland won 5–3. In March 1909, Germany had its biggest official defeat, losing 9–0 to an English amateur team. These early games started the long-standing rivalry between the two countries.

Julius Hirsch was the first Jewish player for the German national team, joining in 1911. He scored four goals against the Netherlands in 1912. This made him the first German to score four goals in one match.

Gottfried Fuchs scored a world record 10 goals for Germany in a 16–0 win against Russia. This happened at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm on July 1. He was the top scorer of that tournament. His record was not broken until 2001. Gottfried Fuchs was Jewish, and the DFB removed all mentions of him from their records between 1933 and 1945.

At first, the DFB chose the players, as there was no special coach. Otto Nerz became the first manager of the German national team in 1926. He stayed in the role until 1936. Germany could not afford to travel to Uruguay for the first World Cup in 1930. But they finished third in the 1934 World Cup in their first appearance.

After a poor performance at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Sepp Herberger became coach. In 1937, he put together a team called the Breslau Elf. This was because of their 8–0 win over Denmark in Breslau.

After Austria joined Germany in 1938, the strong Austrian team was disbanded. Nazi politicians forced some former Austrian players to join the "all-German" team. At the 1938 World Cup in France, this combined team only drew 1–1 with Switzerland. They then lost the replay 2–4. This early exit was Germany's worst World Cup result. It was one of only three times the team failed to get past the group stage.

During World War II, the team played over 30 international games until November 1942. Then, national team games stopped because most players had to join the army.

Three German Teams (1945–1990)

After World War II, Germany was not allowed to compete in most sports until 1950. The DFB was not a full member of FIFA. None of the three new German states—West Germany, East Germany, and Saarland—entered the 1950 World Cup qualifiers.

West Germany continued the DFB. With FIFA and UEFA recognizing them, the DFB kept the records of the pre-war team. Switzerland was the first team to play West Germany in 1950. West Germany then qualified for the 1954 World Cup.

The Saarland, a French protectorate, had its own team from 1947 to 1956. They sent their team to the 1952 Summer Olympics and the 1954 World Cup qualifiers. In 1957, Saarland joined West Germany.

In 1949, East Germany was formed. In 1952, the East German football association (DFV) was created, and the East Germany national football team started playing. They were the only team to beat the 1974 World Cup winners, West Germany. This happened in their only meeting in 1974. East Germany won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics. After Germany reunited in 1990, the East German football teams joined the DFB.

1954 World Cup Victory

West Germany, led by captain Fritz Walter, played in the 1954 World Cup. They faced Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Austria. In the group stage, West Germany lost 3–8 to the strong Hungary team. They met Hungary again in the final. Hungary had not lost a game in 32 matches. But West Germany won 3–2, with Helmut Rahn scoring the winning goal. This victory is known as "The Miracle of Bern."

Memorable Games (1958–1970)

After finishing fourth in the 1958 World Cup and reaching the quarter-finals in 1962, the DFB made changes. Professional football was introduced, and the best clubs formed the new Bundesliga. In 1964, Helmut Schön became coach, replacing Herberger.

In the 1966 World Cup, West Germany reached the final after beating the USSR. They played against hosts England. In extra time, Geoff Hurst scored a controversial goal. The ball seemed to bounce down from the crossbar without fully crossing the line. England won 4–2.

West Germany beat England 3–2 in the quarter-finals of the 1970 World Cup. Then, they lost a thrilling semi-final 4–3 in extra time against Italy. This match, with five goals in extra time, is called the "Game of the Century." West Germany finished third by beating Uruguay 1–0. Gerd Müller was the top scorer with 10 goals.

1974 World Cup Title at Home

In 1971, Franz Beckenbauer became captain. He led West Germany to win the European Championship in 1972. They beat the Soviet Union 3–0 in the final.

As hosts of the 1974 World Cup, they won their second World Cup. They defeated the Netherlands 2–1 in the final in Munich. Two matches in the 1974 World Cup were very important. In the first group stage, West Germany played against East Germany. The East Germans won 1–0. But this did not stop West Germany from moving to the next stage. West Germany then reached the final against the Dutch team, known for their "Total Football" style. The Netherlands scored first from a penalty. But West Germany tied the game with a penalty by Paul Breitner. Gerd Müller scored the winning goal soon after.

Late 1970s and Early 1980s

West Germany did not win their titles in the next two big tournaments. They lost to Czechoslovakia in the UEFA Euro 1976 final in a penalty shootout. This was their last penalty shootout loss in a major tournament until 2022.

In the 1978 World Cup, Germany was knocked out in the second group stage. They lost 3–2 to Austria. Coach Schön retired, and his assistant, Jupp Derwall, took over.

West Germany's first tournament under Derwall was a success. They won their second European title at Euro 1980. They beat Belgium 2–1 in the final. West Germany started the 1982 World Cup with a surprise 1–2 loss to newcomers Algeria. But they still moved to the second round. In the semi-final against France, they tied 3–3 and won the penalty shootout 5–4. In the final, they lost 1–3 to Italy.

During this time, West Germany's Gerd Müller scored 14 goals in two World Cups (1970 and 1974). His 10 goals in 1970 are the third most ever in one tournament. Müller's record of 14 World Cup goals was broken by Ronaldo in 2006. Then, Miroslav Klose broke it again in 2014 with 16 goals.

Beckenbauer's Managing Success (1984–1990)

After West Germany was knocked out early in Euro 1984, Franz Beckenbauer became the manager. At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, West Germany finished as runners-up again. They beat France 2–0 in the semi-finals. But they lost to Diego Maradona's Argentina 2–3 in the final. In Euro 1988, West Germany's hopes of winning at home were ended by the Netherlands. 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. This was their third final in a row. Led by captain Lothar Matthäus, they beat Yugoslavia (4–1), UAE (5–1), the Netherlands (2–1), Czechoslovakia (1–0), and England (1–1, winning 4–3 on penalty kicks). They met Argentina again in the final in Rome. West Germany won 1–0, with Andreas Brehme scoring a penalty in the 85th minute. Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as a player in 1974, became the first person to win it as both a captain and a manager.

Olympic Football

East Germany had more success in Olympic football than West Germany. This was because East Germany could use their best players from their top league. In 1964, the East German side beat West Germany to be chosen for the United Team of Germany. They won the bronze medal for Germany. As East Germany, they won bronze in 1972, gold in 1976, and silver in 1980.

Before 1984, Olympic football was for amateur players only. West Germany could not use their professional players. So, they did not have as much success as in the World Cup. Their first medal was a bronze in the 1988 Olympics. They beat Italy 3–0 for third place.

Berti Vogts Years (1990–1998)

In February 1990, East and West Germany were drawn into the same qualifying group for UEFA Euro 1992. In November 1990, the East German football association joined the DFB. The East Germany team stopped playing. The unified German national team then finished the European Championship qualifying group. The first game for the unified Germany was against Switzerland on December 19.

After the 1990 World Cup, Berti Vogts became the national team coach. In Euro 1992, Germany reached the final but lost 0–2 to Denmark. In the 1994 World Cup, they were surprised by Bulgaria, losing 1–2 in the quarter-finals.

Unified Germany won its first major international title at Euro 1996. They became European champions for the third time. They beat hosts England in the semi-finals. Then, they defeated the Czech Republic 2–1 in the final with a "golden goal" in extra time.

However, in the 1998 World Cup, Germany was knocked out in the quarter-finals. They lost 0–3 to Croatia. All goals were scored after defender Christian Wörns received a red card. Vogts then stepped down as coach.

Erich Ribbeck and Rudi Völler Years (2000–2004)

In Euro 2000, the team went out in the first round. They drew with Romania, lost 1–0 to England, and were beaten 3–0 by Portugal. Ribbeck resigned and was replaced by Rudi Völler.

Before the 2002 World Cup, many people did not expect much from Germany. This was because of their poor results in the qualifying games. But the team did well in the group stage. In the knockout rounds, they won three games in a row by a score of 1–0. They beat Paraguay, the United States, and co-hosts South Korea. This led to a final against Brazil, which was the first time these two teams met in a World Cup final. Germany lost 0–2, with two goals from Ronaldo. Even so, German captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn won the Golden Ball. This was the first time a goalkeeper was named the best player of the tournament.

Germany was again knocked out in the first round at Euro 2004. They drew their first two matches and lost the third to the Czech Republic. Völler resigned, and Jürgen Klinsmann became the new head coach.

Rise under Klinsmann (2004–2006)

Klinsmann's main goal was to lead the team to a good performance at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He changed the captain from goalkeeper Kahn. He also said that Kahn and Jens Lehmann would compete to be the starting goalkeeper. This decision made Kahn upset, but Lehmann eventually won the spot. People did not have high hopes for the team. In March 2006, Italy beat Germany 4–1 in a friendly game. Germany was ranked only 22nd in the world before the 2006 World Cup.

As the World Cup hosts, Germany won all three group stage matches. They finished at the top of their group. The team beat Sweden 2–0 in the round of 16. They then beat Argentina in the quarter-finals in a penalty shootout. The semi-final against Italy was scoreless until near the end of extra time. Germany then gave up two goals and lost. In the third-place match, Germany beat Portugal 3–1. Miroslav Klose won the Golden Boot for scoring five goals, the most in the tournament.

Löw Era (2006–2021)

Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012

Joachim Löw became Germany's coach after Klinsmann resigned. At UEFA Euro 2008, Germany won two of their three group matches to reach the knockout round. They beat Portugal 3–2 in the quarter-final. They also won their semi-final against Turkey. Germany lost the final against Spain 1–0, finishing as runners-up.

At the 2010 World Cup, Germany won their group and moved to the knockout stage. In the round of 16, Germany defeated England 4–1. In the quarter-finals, Germany beat Argentina 4–0. Miroslav Klose tied Gerd Müller's record of 14 World Cup goals. In the semi-final, Germany lost 1–0 to Spain. Germany then beat Uruguay 3–2 to take third place. German player Thomas Müller won the Golden Boot and the Best Young Player Award.

At Euro 2012, Germany was in a tough group with Portugal, Netherlands, and Denmark. Germany won all three group matches. They defeated Greece in the quarter-final. This set a new record of 15 wins in a row in competitive matches. In the semi-finals, Germany lost to Italy 2–1.

2014 World Cup Victory

Germany was in Group G of the 2014 World Cup. They played against Portugal, Ghana, and the United States. They first beat Portugal 4–0, with Thomas Müller scoring three goals. In their game with Ghana, Germany was leading, but Ghana came back to take the lead. Klose scored a goal to tie the game 2–2. This was his 15th World Cup goal, tying him with Brazil's Ronaldo. Germany then beat the US team 1–0, securing their spot in the knockout stages.

The round of 16 match against Algeria was 0–0 after regular time, so it went to extra time. In the 92nd minute, André Schürrle scored. Mesut Özil scored Germany's second goal in the 120th minute, and the match ended 2–1. In the quarter-final against France, Mats Hummels scored in the 13th minute. Germany won 1–0 to reach their fourth semi-final in a row.

The 7–1 semi-final win against Brazil was one of the most unforgettable games in World Cup history. Germany scored four goals in less than seven minutes. They were up 5–0 by the 30th minute. This was Brazil's worst ever World Cup defeat. Germany broke many World Cup records with this win.

The World Cup final was held in Rio de Janeiro on July 13. Mario Götze scored in the 113th minute, helping Germany beat Argentina 1–0. This made them the first European team to win a FIFA World Cup in the Americas.

Euro 2016 to 2017 Confederations Cup

After several players retired after the 2014 World Cup, Germany had a tough start in the Euro 2016 qualifiers. They won against Scotland, but lost to Poland for the first time. They also drew with Ireland. Despite some struggles, they won their group and qualified for the tournament.

At UEFA Euro 2016, Germany started with a 2–0 win against Ukraine. They drew 0–0 with Poland and won 1–0 against Northern Ireland. In the round of 16, Germany easily beat Slovakia 3–0. Germany then faced their rivals Italy in the quarter-finals. The game was tied 1–1 after extra time. Germany then beat Italy 6–5 in a penalty shootout. This was the first time Germany had beaten Italy in a major tournament. Germany lost to hosts France 2–0 in the semi-finals.

Germany qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup by winning the 2014 World Cup. They won the Confederations Cup after beating Chile 1–0 in the final in Russia.

2018 World Cup and Beyond

After winning all their qualifying matches and the Confederations Cup, Germany started their 2018 World Cup with a loss to Mexico. This was their first opening match loss since 1982. Germany beat Sweden 2–1 with a late goal from Toni Kroos. But they were then knocked out after losing 2–0 to South Korea. This was their first time leaving in the first round since 1938. Germany became the fifth defending champion to be knocked out in the group stages.

After the World Cup, Germany continued to struggle in the UEFA Nations League. They drew with France and lost to the Netherlands and France again. They were supposed to be moved down to a lower league, but rule changes saved them.

In March 2021, the DFB announced that Löw would step down as Germany's manager after UEFA Euro 2020. Later that month, Germany lost 2–1 at home to North Macedonia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. This was only their third World Cup qualification defeat ever. On May 25, 2021, Hansi Flick became the new head coach.

At Euro 2020 (played in 2021 due to the pandemic), Germany was in a tough group. They lost to France but beat Portugal. In their final group match, they drew with Hungary. Germany then lost 2–0 to England in the round of 16. This was their first time being knocked out in the round of 16 of a major tournament since the 1938 World Cup.

Recent Years (2021–Present)

After Euro 2020, Hansi Flick became the coach. On October 11, 2021, Germany beat North Macedonia 4–0. This made them the first team (besides the hosts) to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In the 2022–23 Nations League, Germany beat Italy 5–2. This was their first competitive win against Italy.

At the 2022 World Cup, Germany was in Group E with Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica. They started with a surprising 2–1 loss to Japan. Germany drew 1–1 with Spain. Despite a 4–2 win over Costa Rica, they were knocked out in the group stage for the second World Cup in a row. They missed out on the knockout stages because of goal difference.

After more poor games, including a 4–1 home loss to Japan, Flick was removed as coach on September 10, 2023.

On September 22, 2023, Julian Nagelsmann was named the new head coach. After a difficult end to 2023, Germany found its form in 2024. They won against France and the Netherlands, which gave hope for a good UEFA Euro 2024 campaign.

As hosts of Euro 2024, Germany won the opening match against Scotland 5–1. They then beat Hungary 2–0 to qualify for the round of 16. After defeating Denmark, Germany reached the quarter-finals. There, they lost 2–1 after extra time to Spain.

Team Image

Kits and Crest

The national team's home uniform is usually a white shirt, black shorts, and white socks. These colors come from the 19th-century flag of Prussia. Since 1988, many home kit designs have included details from the modern German flag. For the 2014 World Cup, Germany wore white shorts instead of black. This was due to FIFA's rules about uniform colors clashing.

The away shirt color has changed over time. A green shirt with white shorts is often used. This comes from the DFB's colors. Other colors like red, grey, and black have also been used.

Adidas AG has been the long-time uniform supplier for the national team. This partnership started in 1954. In March 2024, Nike was announced as the new kit sponsor starting in 2027.

Three stars were added above the team crest in 1996. These stars represent Germany's World Cup wins in 1954, 1974, and 1990. In 2014, a fourth star was added after Germany won their fourth World Cup.

Home Stadium

Germany plays its home matches in different stadiums across the country. They have played in 43 different cities so far. This includes places that were part of Germany at the time, like Vienna, Austria.

National team matches have been held most often in Berlin (46 matches). Berlin was where Germany played its first home match in 1908 against England. Other common host cities include Hamburg (34 matches), Stuttgart (32), Hanover (28), and Dortmund. Munich also hosted important matches, like the 1974 World Cup final.

Media Coverage

Germany's friendly matches and qualifying matches are shown on different TV channels like RTL, ARD, and ZDF. Matches at major tournaments are only shown on ARD and ZDF.

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 chosen for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches in November 2024.

Information correct as of November 19, 2024, after the match against Hungary.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Alexander Nübel	(1996-09-30) 30 September 1996 (age 28)	2	0	VfB Stuttgart
12	1GK	Oliver Baumann	(1990-06-02) 2 June 1990 (age 35)	2	0	TSG Hoffenheim
22	1GK	Stefan Ortega	(1992-11-06) 6 November 1992 (age 32)	0	0	Manchester City
2	2DF	Antonio Rüdiger	(1993-03-03) 3 March 1993 (age 32)	77	3	Real Madrid
3	2DF	Robin Koch	(1996-07-17) 17 July 1996 (age 28)	12	0	Eintracht Frankfurt
6	2DF	Joshua Kimmich (captain)	(1995-02-08) 8 February 1995 (age 30)	97	7	Bayern Munich
15	2DF	Nico Schlotterbeck	(1999-12-01) 1 December 1999 (age 25)	18	0	Borussia Dortmund
18	2DF	Maximilian Mittelstädt	(1997-03-18) 18 March 1997 (age 28)	11	1	VfB Stuttgart
21	2DF	Robin Gosens	(1994-07-05) 5 July 1994 (age 30)	23	2	Fiorentina
23	2DF	Benjamin Henrichs	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 28)	19	0	RB Leipzig
	2DF	Jonathan Tah	(1996-02-11) 11 February 1996 (age 29)	33	0	Bayer Leverkusen
5	3MF	Pascal Groß	(1991-06-15) 15 June 1991 (age 34)	12	1	Borussia Dortmund
8	3MF	Robert Andrich	(1994-09-22) 22 September 1994 (age 30)	16	0	Bayer Leverkusen
10	3MF	Jamal Musiala	(2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 22)	38	7	Bayern Munich
11	3MF	Chris Führich	(1998-01-09) 9 January 1998 (age 27)	8	0	VfB Stuttgart
13	3MF	Felix Nmecha	(2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 24)	3	1	Borussia Dortmund
14	3MF	Julian Brandt	(1996-05-02) 2 May 1996 (age 29)	48	3	Borussia Dortmund
17	3MF	Florian Wirtz	(2003-05-03) 3 May 2003 (age 22)	29	6	Bayer Leverkusen
19	3MF	Leroy Sané	(1996-01-11) 11 January 1996 (age 29)	67	14	Bayern Munich
7	4FW	Kai Havertz	(1999-06-11) 11 June 1999 (age 26)	55	20	Arsenal
9	4FW	Tim Kleindienst	(1995-08-31) 31 August 1995 (age 29)	4	2	Borussia Mönchengladbach
20	4FW	Serge Gnabry	(1995-07-14) 14 July 1995 (age 29)	49	22	Bayern Munich

Recent Call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the team in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Janis Blaswich	(1991-05-02) 2 May 1991 (age 34)	0	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
GK	Marc-André ter Stegen	(1992-04-30) 30 April 1992 (age 33)	42	0	Barcelona	v.  Netherlands, 10 September 2024 INJ
GK	Manuel Neuer RET	(1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 39)	124	0	Bayern Munich	UEFA Euro 2024
GK	Bernd Leno	(1992-03-04) 4 March 1992 (age 33)	9	0	Fulham	v.  Netherlands, 26 March 2024
DF	Waldemar Anton	(1996-07-20) 20 July 1996 (age 28)	7	0	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
DF	David Raum	(1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 27)	26	0	RB Leipzig	v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11 October 2024 INJ
DF	Jan-Niklas Beste	(1999-01-04) 4 January 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Benfica	v.  France, 23 March 2024 INJ
MF	Angelo Stiller	(2001-04-04) 4 April 2001 (age 24)	3	0	VfB Stuttgart	v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 16 November 2024 INJ
MF	Aleksandar Pavlović	(2004-05-03) 3 May 2004 (age 21)	4	1	Bayern Munich	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
MF	Kevin Schade	(2001-11-27) 27 November 2001 (age 23)	4	0	Brentford	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
MF	Jamie Leweling	(2001-02-26) 26 February 2001 (age 24)	1	1	VfB Stuttgart	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
MF	Emre Can	(1994-01-12) 12 January 1994 (age 31)	48	2	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Netherlands, 10 September 2024
MF	Toni Kroos RET	(1990-01-04) 4 January 1990 (age 35)	114	17	Retired	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	İlkay Gündoğan RET	(1990-10-24) 24 October 1990 (age 34)	82	19	Manchester City	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	Rocco Reitz	(2002-05-29) 29 May 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Borussia Mönchengladbach	v.  Ukraine, 3 June 2024
FW	Deniz Undav	(1996-07-19) 19 July 1996 (age 28)	5	3	VfB Stuttgart	v.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, 16 November 2024 INJ
FW	Jonathan Burkardt	(2000-07-11) 11 July 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Mainz 05	v.  Netherlands, 14 October 2024
FW	Maximilian Beier	(2002-10-17) 17 October 2002 (age 22)	4	0	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Netherlands, 10 September 2024
FW	Niclas Füllkrug	(1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32)	22	14	West Ham United	v.  Hungary, 7 September 2024 INJ
FW	Thomas Müller RET	(1989-09-13) 13 September 1989 (age 35)	131	45	Bayern Munich	UEFA Euro 2024
FW	Brajan Gruda	(2004-05-31) 31 May 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  Ukraine, 3 June 2024
INJ Withdrew due to injury RET Retired from the national team

Individual Records

Players in bold are still active with Germany.

This list does not include players who represented East Germany.

Most Games Played

Rank	Player	Games	Goals	Years Played
1	Lothar Matthäus	150	23	1980–2000
2	Miroslav Klose	137	71	2001–2014
3	Thomas Müller	131	45	2010–2024
4	Lukas Podolski	130	49	2004–2017
5	Manuel Neuer	124	0	2009–2024
6	Bastian Schweinsteiger	121	24	2004–2016
7	Toni Kroos	114	17	2010–2024
8	Philipp Lahm	113	5	2004–2014
9	Jürgen Klinsmann	108	47	1987–1998
10	Jürgen Kohler	105	2	1986–1998

Top Goal Scorers

Rank	Player	Goals	Games	Average	Years Played
1	Miroslav Klose	71	137	0.52	2001–2014
2	Gerd Müller	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		131	0.34	2010–2024
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

Team Captains

Player	Years	Notes
Fritz Szepan	1934–1939
Paul Janes	1939–1942
Fritz Walter	1951–1956	First official captain of West Germany World Cup winning captain (1954)
Hans Schäfer	1952–1962	First West German player in three World Cups
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 unified Germany
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	2023–2024
Joshua Kimmich	2024–

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

The manager with the most games for Germany is Joachim Löw, with 198 appearances.

Team Records

15 Consecutive Wins (World Record)

Germany holds a world record for 15 wins in a row in competitive matches. This streak happened between 2010 and 2012.

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'

Major Competition Results

Germany has won the FIFA World Cup four times. Only Brazil has won more (five times). Germany has been runners-up four times. They have reached the semi-finals 13 times, more than any other country. Germany has qualified for every World Cup they have entered. They did not enter the first World Cup in 1930 for money reasons. They were banned from the 1950 World Cup.

Germany has also won the European Championship three times. This is tied with Spain for the most wins. They have been runners-up three times. Germany has qualified for every European Championship except for 1968. In that tournament, they drew a game in Albania, which meant Yugoslavia went through instead. Germany has reached at least the semi-finals nine times in this competition.

See also East Germany and Saarland for the results of these separate German teams.

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	In progress										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.

Olympic Games

Summer Olympic Games record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Campaign
1900	Did not enter										Did not enter						—
1904																	—
1908																	—
1912	First round	7th	3	1	0	2	18	8	Squad		Invited						—
1920	Banned										Banned						—
1924																	—
1928	Quarter-finals	5th	2	1	0	1	5	4	Squad		Invited						—
1936		6th	2	1	0	1	9	2	Squad		Qualified as hosts						—
1948	Banned										Banned						—
1952	Fourth place	4th	4	2	0	2	8	8	Squad		Invited						—
1956	First round	9th	1	0	0	1	1	2	Squad		Automatic qualification						1956
1960	Did not qualify										6	3	0	3	9	11	1960
1964											2	1	0	1	2	4	1964
1968											2	1	0	1	1	2	1968
1972	Second round	5th	6	3	1	2	17	8	Squad		Qualified as hosts						1972
1976	Did not qualify										2	0	1	1	2	3	1976
1980	Did not enter										Did not enter						1980
1984	Quarter-finals	5th	4	2	0	2	10	6	Squad		6	3	1	2	8	5	1984
1988	Bronze medal	3rd	6	4	1	1	16	4	Squad		8	5	2	1	16	4	1988
1992	Did not qualify										UEFA European Under-21 Championship						1992
1996																	1996
2000																	2000
2004																	2004
2008																	2008
2012																	2012
2016	Silver medal	2nd	6	3	3	0	22	6	Squad								2016
2020	Group stage	9th	3	1	1	1	6	7	Squad								2020
2024	Did not qualify																2024
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032
Total	2 medals	10/28	37	18	6*	13	112	55	—		26	13	4	9	38	29	Total

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

**Red border indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Honours and Awards

Major Competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Champions (4): 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
  • Runners-up (4): 1966, 1982, 1986, 2002
  • Third place (4): 1934, 1970, 2006, 2010
• UEFA European Championship
  • Champions (3): 1972, 1980, 1996
  • Runners-up (3): 1976, 1992, 2008
• Olympic Games
  • Bronze Medal (1): 1988
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Champions (1): 2017
  • Third place (1): 2005

Friendly Tournaments

• U.S. Cup
  • Champions: 1993
• Swiss Centenary Tournament
  • Champions: 1995

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

Summary of Wins

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	4	4	4	12
Olympic Games	0	0	1	1
FIFA Confederations Cup	1	0	1	2
UEFA European Championship	3	3	0	6
UEFA Nations League	0	0	0	0
Total	8	7	6	21

• West Germany is the official predecessor of current Germany. All the results obtained by the East Germany national football team are officially excluded.

Images for kids

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  Germany national team at its first official international match in 1908

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  Forward Gottfried Fuchs, key player for Germany at the 1912 Olympic Games

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

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

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  Gerd Müller in 1974

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  Franz Beckenbauer in 1990

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  Berti Vogts

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

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  Germany during UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers

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  Germany lifting the World Cup trophy in 2014

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  Germany posing with Champions banner after 2014 FIFA World Cup Final

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  Fans in Hamburg watching the match between Germany and South Korea

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  Germany during the 2022 FIFA World Cup

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

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  Olympic Stadium in Berlin

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

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