GERMANY

From the “Miracle of Bern” in 1954 to the 7‑1 demolition of Brazil in 2014, Germany’s four-title legacy is written in football lore. But a new generation of stars wants to win on their own terms, pushing a kinetic style of play that weaponizes Germany's famous surgical precision. Can this be the team to equal Brazil’s record 5 World Cup titles?It’s not just the four World Cup titles that earned Germany a reputation as Turniermannschaft, the quintessential “tournament team”; from the “Miracle of Bern” to their 7-1 dismantling of Brazil, Germany’s famed precision has somehow shone brightest when the gaze of the world has been most intense. But that reputation has felt like a distant memory in recent years. 2018 and 2022 produced Die Nationalelf’s first back-to-back group stage exits since 1938, puncturing decades of invincibility and sending German football spiraling into an identity crisis that saw three coaches in as many years. With stalwarts like Neuer, Müller, Gündoğan and Kroos all retiring from international duty in 2024, the nation’s hopes for a rebound to form now rest with Wirtz, Musiala and a new generation of stars.