NATION PRESENTATION: GERMANY
NICKNAME: DFB Team
MANAGER: Hans-Dieter Flick
MOST CAPPED PLAYER: Lothar Matthaus- 150 caps from 1980 to 2000
TOP SCORER: Miroslav Klose- 71 goal from 2001 to 2014
HOST NATION: Yes. Twice: 1974 and 2006.
WORLD CUP RECORD: 20th World cup for Germany. East Germany competed in 1974.
Peco Bauwens, Sepp Herberger, Toni Turek, Heinz Kwiatowski, Fritz Laband, Werner Kohlmeyer, Hans Bauer, Horst Eckel, Jupp Posipal, Karl Mai, Paul Mebus, Werner Liebrich, Helmut Rahn, Max Morlock, Bernhard Klodt, Ottmar Walter, Fritz Walter, Richard Hermann, Alfred Pfaff and Hans Schafer
BEST RESULT: Germany's football team had won four World cup titles, the first one being in 1954. At that time we had a different tournament format. They were in a group with Turkey, Hungary and South Korea but played only two matches. The WC opener was against Turkey with a 4-1 win. Then they played against the best team in the world at that time, Hungary. A big 8-3 loss for the Germans. Both Germany and Turkey finished with the same number of points so they played a playoff match. Another easy win for West Germany 7-2. Quarter-final match was against Yugoslavia. 2-0 win with Ivica Horvat own goal at the beginning and Rahn in the last minutes. The Semi-final match was versus neighbours Austria. Big 7-1 win. Final was a re-match from the group stage. It was Hungary who won the other semis. Magyars started great and had a 0-2 lead in just eight minutes. The Germans scored two fast goals and it was a draw in the 18th minute. In the late part of the match Rahn scored his second and Germany won their first WC title surprisingly beating Magyars.