First Touch ’26 - Germany

For generations, the World Cup script was simple: 22 players chase a ball for 90 minutes and, somehow, Germany end up in the semifinal. In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how Die Mannschaft became the sport’s ultimate tournament machine. With four World Cup titles, four runner-up finishes, and 13 semifinal runs, before stumbling out in the group stage in both 2018 and 2022. We revisit the Miracle of Bern in 1954, the politically charged 1974 win as hosts, reunified glory in 1990, and the ruthless 7–1 demolition of Brazil in 2014 that still haunts an entire country. From Nazi-era erasures to today’s Julius-Hirsch-Preis, we also look at how Germany reckons with its past through football. Fast-forward to Julian Nagelsmann’s high-pressing, tactically flexible side, fresh off a promising Euro 2024 on home soil but still searching for consistency against Europe’s elite. With veterans like Joshua Kimmich joined by rising stars Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and breakout Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade, Germany arrive in 2026 as dangerous “non-favorites”—which might be the most frightening version of them yet.