Germany national football team

Not to be confused with East Germany national football team.
This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Germany women's national football team.

Germany
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)DFB-Team (DFB Team)
Nationalelf (National Eleven)
DFB-Elf (DFB Eleven)
Die Mannschaft (The Team)[a]
AssociationDeutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB)
ConfederationUEFA
Head coachJulian Nagelsmann
CaptainJoshua Kimmich
Most capsLothar Matthäus (150)
Top scorerMiroslav Klose (71)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeGER
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 11 Increase 2 (24 October 2024)[5]
Highest1[6] (December 1992 – August 1993, December 1993 – March 1994, June 1994, July 2014 – June 2015, July 2017, September 2017 – June 2018)
Lowest22[6] (March 2006)
First international
  Switzerland 5–3 Germany 
(Basel, Switzerland; 5 April 1908)[7]
Biggest win
 Germany 16–0 Russian Empire Russian Empire
(Stockholm, Sweden; 1 July 1912)[8]
Biggest defeat
 England Amateurs 9–0 Germany 
(Oxford, England; 13 March 1909)[9][b]
World Cup
Appearances20 (first in 1934)
Best resultChampions (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
European Championship
Appearances14 (first in 1972)
Best resultChampions (1972, 1980, 1996)
Summer Olympic Games
Appearances8[c] (first in 1912)
Best result Bronze medal (1988)
Confederations Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1999)
Best resultChampions (2017)
Medal record
FIFA World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1954 Switzerland Team
Gold medal – first place 1974 West Germany Team
Gold medal – first place 1990 Italy Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Brazil Team
Silver medal – second place 1966 England Team
Silver medal – second place 1982 Spain Team
Silver medal – second place 1986 Mexico Team
Silver medal – second place 2002 South Korea–Japan Team
Bronze medal – third place 1934 Italy Team
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Mexico Team
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Germany Team
Bronze medal – third place 2010 South Africa Team
UEFA European Championship
Gold medal – first place 1972 Belgium Team
Gold medal – first place 1980 Italy Team
Gold medal – first place 1996 England Team
Silver medal – second place 1976 Yugoslavia Team
Silver medal – second place 1992 Sweden Team
Silver medal – second place 2008 Austria–Switzerland Team
Olympics Games
Bronze medal – third place 1988 Seoul Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Gold medal – first place 2017 Russia Team
Bronze medal – third place 2005 Germany Team
Websitedfb.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.[7] The team is governed by the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund), founded in 1900.[11][12] 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;[13][14] 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 second behind Spain, the record holder in that international competition with four. Germany won also a Confederations Cup in 2017.[11] 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.[11] East Germany won Olympic Gold in 1976.[15] Germany was the first, and is one of only two nations to have won both the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women's World Cup (the other being Spain).[16][17] 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.[18] Germany is also the only European nation that has won a FIFA World Cup in the Americas.

  1. ^ "The "Mannschaft" :: National Teams :: DFB – Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V." dfb.de. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  2. ^ "DFB unveil new 'Die Mannschaft' branding". DFB. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  3. ^ "DFB verzichtet künftig auf den Markennamen "Die Mannschaft"". dfb.de (in German). DFB. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  4. ^ "DFB verzichtet auf Marketingslogan 'Die Mannschaft'". Der Spiegel (in German). 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  5. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Germany: FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  7. ^ a b "All matches of The National Team in 1908". DFB. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  8. ^ "All matches of The National Team in 1912". DFB. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  9. ^ "All matches of The National Team in 1909". DFB. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  10. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Germany". FIFA. Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  12. ^ "Germany's strength in numbers". UEFA. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Statistics – Most-capped players". DFB. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  14. ^ "Statistics – Top scorers". DFB. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  15. ^ "Olympic Football Tournament Montreal 1976". FIFA. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  16. ^ "– Germany on". FIFA. Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  17. ^ "– Tournaments". FIFA. Archived from the original on 2 June 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  18. ^ "– World Football Elo Ratings: Rating Graph". Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.


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