Germany booked their place at the World Cup by winning UEFA Group A, but they did not have it all their own way. In their opening game against Slovakia, they suffered a shock 2-0 defeat, marking the first time in their history that Germany had lost a World Cup qualifier away from home. In the return fixture, however, they responded emphatically with a 6-0 win to secure their place in North America.
It has not been an easy few years for Die Mannschaft. Their group-stage elimination as holders at the 2018 World Cup was followed by another early exit in 2022, marking the first time in Germany’s storied history that they had suffered back-to-back first-round exits at the World Cup.
In 2023 came further setbacks, with defeats to Belgium, Poland, Colombia and Japan, before a change on the bench led to the appointment of Julian Nagelsmann. The young coach guided Germany through Euro 2024 on home soil, where their run was ended in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Spain.
And so after a turbulent recent spell, Germany appear to have put those disappointments behind them and are aiming to return to the elite of world football.
