Germany national football team

Lore & Background

The Germany national football team represents the nation in men's international football, with its first official match played in 1908. Governed by the German Football Association (DFB), which was founded in 1900 and is the largest single national sports federation worldwide, the team’s identity has been shaped by historical division. Between 1949 and 1990, separate German teams were recognized by FIFA due to Allied occupation: the DFB’s team representing the Federal Republic (West Germany), a Saarland team (1950–1956), and an East German team (1952–1990). The latter two were later absorbed, and the present team represents the reunified Federal Republic, with its official name and code shortened from "Germany FR (FRG)" to "Germany (GER)" after 1990. Germany is one of the most successful national teams globally, having won four FIFA World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), tied with Italy and one fewer than Brazil. They have also been runners-up four times and secured third place four times—a feat no other nation has matched. Additionally, Germany has won three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996), second only to Spain, and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017. The team is the only European side to win a World Cup in South America and, combined with the women’s team’s two World Cup titles, holds a record six World Cups overall. Notable rivalries include those with the Netherlands, Italy, and England. The early history saw heavy defeats to English amateur sides, including a 9–0 loss in 1909, and a world-record ten goals scored by Gottfried Fuchs in a 16–0 win over Russia at the 1912 Olympics. The first manager was Otto Nerz (1926–1936), followed by Sepp Herberger, who forged the "Breslau Elf" after an 8–0 win over Denmark in 1937. During the 1938 World Cup, Austrian players were forcibly added following the Anschluss, resulting in a draw and replay loss to Switzerland.

Reader's Guide

The Germany national football team, governed by the German Football Association (DFB), is one of the most accomplished sides in international football history. The team has won four FIFA World Cups, a feat matched only by Italy and surpassed solely by Brazil, and is the only national team to have finished as World Cup runner-up four times and in third place on four further occasions. Germany has also claimed three European Championships, second only to Spain’s four, and won the FIFA Confederations Cup. The nation is the first and one of only two to have secured both the men’s and women’s World Cups, and by combined titles, Germany is the most successful football nation with six World Cups overall. The team earned the second-highest Elo rating ever recorded at the end of the 2014 tournament and remains the only European side to win a World Cup on South American soil. Internationally, Germany maintains fierce rivalries with the Netherlands, Italy, and England. The team’s early history includes a first official match in 1908, a 16–0 Olympic victory over Russia in 1912 featuring a world-record ten goals from Gottfried Fuchs, and a 9–0 defeat to England Amateurs in 1909. Following World War II, separate German teams represented West Germany, East Germany, and the Saar Protectorate until reunification in 1990, after which the unified team’s official code was shortened to Germany.

Did You Know?

• Germany is the only European nation to have won a FIFA World Cup in South America.