Germany head into the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of the tournament favourites. The four-time world champions last lifted the trophy in 2014 after defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
The match was decided in extra time when substitute Mario Götze scored the winning goal to secure Germany’s fourth World Cup title.
Now managed by Julian Nagelsmann and captained by Joshua Kimmich, Germany qualified for the 2026 World Cup by finishing top of Group A in the UEFA qualifying campaign. They confirmed their place at the tournament with a convincing 6-0 victory over Slovakia.
After disappointing group-stage exits at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Germany will be hoping to make a much stronger impression this time around. The team will be aiming to win a fifth World Cup title, which would move them ahead of Italy and place them second on the all-time list behind Brazil.
Germany World Cup 2026 Schedule & Fixtures
Germany have been drawn in Group E alongside Curaçao, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador. Their World Cup campaign begins against Curaçao on June 14.
The team’s group-stage matches will be played across three different host cities in the United States.
| Date | Match | Kick-Off Time (EDT) |
|---|---|---|
June 14, 2026 |
Germany vs Curaçao |
1:00 PM EDT |
June 20, 2026 |
Germany vs Côte d'Ivoire |
4:00 PM EDT |
June 25, 2026 |
Ecuador vs Germany |
4:00 PM EDT |
Germany will be expected to progress from the group stage, but they face a challenging group of opponents.
Côte d'Ivoire arrive as one of Africa’s strongest sides, Ecuador have consistently qualified for recent World Cups, while Curaçao, the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup, will be looking to make a statement on football’s biggest stage.
Germany World Cup 2026 Squad
The squad selected by Julian Nagelsmann combines experienced internationals with several younger players. One of the biggest stories is the return of veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who came out of international retirement to join Germany's World Cup campaign.
Photo by Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images
Goalkeepers
Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders
Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund)
Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, captain)
David Raum (RB Leipzig)
Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid, vice-captain)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich)
Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
Midfielders
Nadiem Amiri (Mainz)
Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart)
Assan Ouédraogo (RB Leipzig)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund)
Alexander Pavlović (Bayern Munich)
Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart)
Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Forwards
Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)
Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Leroy Sané (Galatasaray)
Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart)
Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
