Let us talk about Germany and their shocking exit yesterday. But before we go any further, this is not about one loss. Since demolishing Brazil and winning the World Cup in 2014, these have been their results:
2018: Out in the Group Stage
2022: Out in the Group Stage
2026: Out in the Round of 32
They are basically the first team ever to fail to reach the Round of 16 in three consecutive World Cups after winning the World Cup.
Germany don’t lack a world-class league, one that is arguably third behind the EPL and La Liga in terms of organization, development, and quality.
Next, there is an issue we have often associated with Italy: relying mostly on their own players rather than using foreign-born or naturalized players. Well, that isn’t the case either, because Germany has fully embraced that model too, with little or no success so far.
In fact, I read posts across different platforms this morning, and the majority seemed to share one overarching theme: that Germany has gone downhill since embracing players from more diverse backgrounds, including Turkish, Middle Eastern, and African communities. The argument was that while these players are undoubtedly talented, they don’t have the same “never give up” fighting spirit that German teams from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s were known for.
Can we simply chalk it up to the fact that other nations have gotten better, and that, just like Brazil, Germany hasn’t managed to raise its level another notch?
But then you look at France and see the tremendous success they have had over the last 10 years, basically during the same period Germany has been declining. What is different about the French experience? Is it simply better integration? Better player development? Something else? They have embraced diversity just as much—if not more—yet the results have been the complete opposite.
Again, any team can lose in the quarterfinals or semifinals, like Brazil has now done five consecutive times. But with Germany, it is different. They aren’t even reaching the second round.
At the end of the day, despite being rivals to Brazil—and as long as they don’t catch up in stars—you want traditional powers like Germany and Italy to remain strong and relevant, not slowly disappear the way Hungary once did, or even Uruguay has in recent years.
2018: Out in the Group Stage 2022: Out in the Group Stage 2026: Out in the Round of 32They are basically the first team ever to fail to reach the Round of 16 in three consecutive World Cups after winning the World Cup.
Germany don’t lack a world-class league, one that is arguably third behind the EPL and La Liga in terms of organization, development, and quality.
Next, there is an issue we have often associated with Italy: relying mostly on their own players rather than using foreign-born or naturalized players. Well, that isn’t the case either, because Germany has fully embraced that model too, with little or no success so far.
In fact, I read posts across different platforms this morning, and the majority seemed to share one overarching theme: that Germany has gone downhill since embracing players from more diverse backgrounds, including Turkish, Middle Eastern, and African communities. The argument was that while these players are undoubtedly talented, they don’t have the same “never give up” fighting spirit that German teams from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s were known for.
Can we simply chalk it up to the fact that other nations have gotten better, and that, just like Brazil, Germany hasn’t managed to raise its level another notch?
But then you look at France and see the tremendous success they have had over the last 10 years, basically during the same period Germany has been declining. What is different about the French experience? Is it simply better integration? Better player development? Something else? They have embraced diversity just as much—if not more—yet the results have been the complete opposite.
Again, any team can lose in the quarterfinals or semifinals, like Brazil has now done five consecutive times. But with Germany, it is different. They aren’t even reaching the second round.
At the end of the day, despite being rivals to Brazil—and as long as they don’t catch up in stars—you want traditional powers like Germany and Italy to remain strong and relevant, not slowly disappear the way Hungary once did, or even Uruguay has in recent years.
