Germany All-Time World Cup XI + 5 Players to Watch in 2026
Oliver Kahn (con)
Talismanic Shot-Stopper Who Dominated the 90s and 2000s
Berti Vogts (close to ‘votes’ but with a slight ‘g’ sound before the t)
Disciplined Defender and Lynchpin of Germany’s 1970s Team
Matthias Sammer
EURO 1996 Winner Who Was Awarded That Year’s Ballon d’Or
Michael Ballack
The Quintessential Midfield General With 98 Caps Under His Belt
Günter Netzer (net-zer)
Elegant Playmaker Who Orchestrated West Germany’s Euro 1972 Win
Wolfgang Overath
Technically Masterful Midfielder Who Achieved World Cup Glory in 1974
Jürgen Klinsmann
One of Germany’s All-Time Great Goal Poachers For Club and Country
Miroslav Klose (cloze-eh)
All-Time World Cup Scoring Record Holder With 16 Goals
Uwe Seeler (oo-vay zailor)
Incredibly Prolific Scorer Who Had Nearly 500 Career Goals
So, those are the greatest of all time, but how about right now? Who are the players you need to know before World Cup 2026 kicks off in America, Mexico and Canada?
Florian Wirtz (veertz)
Now rightly regarded as one of the star attacking midfielders of world football, 2026’s tournament will almost certainly not be Florian Wirtz’s last. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s any less pressure on him. He has all the potential in the world to have a breakout tournament at international level - and his spot in the starting XI is all but guaranteed from the group stage onwards.
Jamal Musiala (moosie-ala)
Despite his age, the 23-year-old Jamal Musiala has now represented Germany at three major tournaments, starting all the way back at Euro 2020, which was played in 2021. If he is fully fit and locked in for this campaign, there will be no doubts over his role as a key player. After a horrific leg-break in July of 2025, there will be lingering questions that he will need to answer, but time is well and truly on his side.
Joshua Kimmich (kim-mish)
Now well into his prime years and captaining the German side, Joshua Kimmich will play a major leadership role within this team. Though it’s not a given that this will be his last World Cup, he will certainly be at the peak of his powers for this tournament at 31 years old. He picks up the torch in a long line of legendary captains this nation has produced, and this will likely be the most important World Cup of his career.
Kai Havertz (Kye Have-erts)
If Kai Havertz can turn up in consistent form, this World Cup will represent a pretty huge leap for him. Years of promise eventually need to lead to concrete results, and at 26, Havertz now has a golden opportunity to take his reputation to a different level. There will be quite a lot of competition for a place in the starting-eleven, so every single spark of magic he can produce at club level will be crucial. However, if Havertz gets his chance to shine, he has the ability to make something special happen.
Jonathan Tah (Tah… as written)
Every great team needs a strong foundation in defense and that’s exactly what Jonathan Tah brings to the table. At 30, he will never be as physically primed as he is now, and his presence on the field will be a huge asset to the German side. Size alone doesn’t pay the bills, but Tah brings a lot of other skills and attributes to the table. If he can maintain his form, expect him to become a key member of a solid German backline.
But how do you predict Germany will do in the 2026 World Cup? Let us know in the comments below.
