Football
Germany’s World Cup History: How Many Wins?
The Germany soccer team holds the record alongside Italy of being the most successful European nation at the FIFA World Cup. Die Mannschaft have won the FIFA World Cup on four occasions. In this article, we will take you through all of Germany’s football World Cup victories, and we will have a look at magical moments, and interesting statistics.
Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany lifts the World Cup trophy//Getty Images
Table of Germany’s FIFA World Cup victories
| FIFA World Cup Champion | FIFA World Cup Year |
| Germany | 1954 |
| Germany | 1974 |
| Germany | 1990 |
| Germany | 2014 |
Relive the story of Germany’s first-ever FIFA World Cup victory
As you can see from the above table, Germany won the FIFA World Cup in 1954, 1974, 1990, and most recently in 2014. Each of these FIFA World Cup victories had magical moments which will go down in history, and live long in the memory of players, and football fans from around the world. Germany won their first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1954. They beat Hungary 3-2 in a thrilling final in front of over 60,000 fans in Switzerland.
Former Germany striker Miroslav Klose holds the record for the most goals scored at the FIFA World Cup. Klose scored 16 goals during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2006, 2010, and 2014 editions of the tournament.
Germany win the 1974 FIFA World Cup
Iconic Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer skippered Germany to FIFA World Cup glory at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Die Mannschaft scored some spectacular goals on their way to a 2-1 victory against the Netherlands in the 1974 FIFA World Cup final. Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller scored the goals for Germany in this exciting final. Germany also beat the likes of Chile, Australia, Yugoslavia, and Sweden in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.
Germany win a third FIFA World Cup title in 1990
Germany showed their football class in winning the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Die Mannschaft beat Yugoslavia, and the UAE in the group stages, and they drew with Colombia in their final group-stage match. Germany then beat the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, and England to book a ticket to the FIFA World Cup final against Argentina. Germany vs Argentina was a rematch of the 1986 FIFA World Cup final which Argentina won. Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the 1990 FIFA World Cup final to lift the FIFA World Cup for a third time.
German dominance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
The German soccer machine was in full force, and performing to optimal levels at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Germany beat Portugal 4-0 in the group stages. They then drew 2-2 with Ghana in an exciting fixture. In their final group-stage match, Germany managed to grind out a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the USA. A physical, and tactical Algeria team took Germany all the way to extra-time in their Round of 16 matchup which Germany won 2-1. Next up for Germany was a quarter-final match against France. Mats Hummels found the back of the net for Germany as Die Mannschaft won this clash 1-0. Germany smashed Brazil 7-1 in their semi-final. Die Mannschaft beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. Mario Götze scored the winning goal for Germany in extra time.
Did Germany really beat Brazil 7-1? Just say that again!
Yes! Germany beat Brazil 7-1 in a 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final matchup. This match made headlines around the world, and is arguably the most talked about FIFA World Cup match in the history of the tournament. Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and their fans expected nothing less than the team to win the trophy. The Samba Boys were in a confident mood heading into their semi-final showdown against Germany. Brazil golden boy Neymar suffered an injury before this match and was forced to miss this crucial encounter. Fans in the crowd passionately waved Neymar’s number 10 jersey in tribute to the Brazil poster boy. The atmosphere in the stadium was absolutely electric.
Thomas Muller silenced the Estadio Mineirao with a goal in the 11th minute of the game. Things went from bad to worse for Brazil as Germany started playing precise and accurate football which was too much for Brazil to handle, and Miroslav Klose stunned the crowd as he doubled Germany’s lead in only the 23rd minute of the match.
Toni Kroos added another two goals for Germany. Sami Khedira joined the goalscoring party with a good goal, and André Schürrle rounded off a perfect night for German football with a well-taken goal. Oscar scored a consolation goal for Brazil with the final score ending 7-1 to Germany.
The Brazil fans could barely believe what they had just witnessed let alone the players. Iconic pictures of Germany celebrating, while Brazil players and supporters were left in tears, will be remembered for years to come.
Thomas Mueller of Germany celebrating//Getty Images
Relive Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup victory through an iconic picture
Thomas Muller of Germany celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-final match between Brazil and Germany at Estadio Mineirao on July 8, 2014 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
What Germany said about winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup
“We’re going to celebrate for at least five weeks now. At some point we’ll stop celebrating but we’ll always keep waking up with a smile,” Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on Germany winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Why do Germany have such a good winning record at the FIFA World Cup?
- Germany’s tactical, aggressive, and physical playing style is great for high pressure games at a FIFA World Cup.
- Many of Germany’s soccer players play in the German Bundesliga, and in competitive leagues around the world like the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the Spanish LaLiga. Playing consistently in these top football leagues around the world is a big asset for the Germany soccer team.
Can Germany win the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Of course Germany stands a good chance of winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Die Mannschaft are ranked 11th position on the latest Men’s FIFA World Rankings as of November 2024. The German fans expect nothing less than their team to win the FIFA World Cup, and who can blame them? Die Mannschaft has an incredible winning record, and because of this, they will always be expected to win the FIFA World Cup. Germany has world-class soccer players in their team like Antonio Rudiger, Serge Gnabry, and Florian Wirtz. The 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers get underway in March 2025, and Germany will need to play their best football to qualify for the global spectacle. Is this the start of something special for Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann, and his team?
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Josh has over ten years of experience as a Sports Writer. Josh has created content for some of the biggest sports brands and publications in South Africa. Josh is a creative writer who puts you in the game with his unique content. Josh writes about Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Basketball, Darts, Golf, and all major sports.