Germany have been one of the biggest powerhouses of international football, but they haven’t done well since their triumph in 2014.
In 2018 (Russia) and 2022 (Qatar), they failed to go beyond the group stages, and manager Julian Nagelsmann is determined to turn the team’s fortunes around. There is no target other than winning the World Cup. He has said it multiple times.
Germany are paired with debutants Curacao, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast in Group E and should have no problems advancing to the Round of 32. This is the biggest World Cup yet, with as many as 48 teams in the fray across 12 groups. Just a reminder, the top-2 teams from each group as well as 8 third-best teams across the groups will advance to the next round.
Nagelsmann has made a huge call recently. He has included 40-year-old Manuel Neuer in the squad, which is quite extraordinary. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper has come out of international retirement to feature in his fifth World Cup. He last represented the national team during Euro 2024, where they reached the quarterfinals. And from what we have heard so far from the boss… come their first game against Curacao on June 14 at the NRG Stadium in Houston, he is going to be in goal for sure.
Then they play African giants Ivory Coast at BMO Field in Toronto on June 20. Their last group match is scheduled for June 25 against South American Ecuador at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
As far as these three matches are concerned, Germany should not have much of an issue. It’s from the Round of 32 onwards where the real challenge begins for them.
Four-time champions Germany, who directly qualified by virtue of their winning Group A of UEFA’s qualifying competition, will heavily bank on their attacking midfielders Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Then there is Joshua Kimmich, who has represented Germany in 106 games. He is versatile and effective as a right-back as well as a central midfielder. Kai Havertz, the forward who plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League, is another to watch out for.
38-year-old Nagelsmann is flexible with his tactics, and yes, data is important to him. The good thing is he has been with the team for some time now. He got the role in September 2023 and has had enough time to rebuild the team.
Germany may not be one of the favourites to win the World Cup, but it’s a team that has some serious pedigree and history. Don’t be surprised if they end up adding a fifth feather to their cap.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton and Hove Albion), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
