When does Germany play at World Cup 2026?

Four-time World Cup winners Germany have a point to prove. Back-to-back group-stage eliminations in 2018 and 2022 represent the worst stretch in the history of German football, a country that reached at least the quarter-finals at every tournament from 1962 to 2014. For a nation that defines itself partly through football success, those exits were genuinely traumatic. The expectation now is to get back to where Germany believe they belong.

The World Cup record is extraordinary. Four titles in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014, plus four runners-up finishes and four third-place results. No country has been more consistently brilliant at this tournament over the past 70 years. The 2014 triumph in Brazil, capped by that 7-1 demolition of the hosts in the semi-final, was the last time Germany looked like Germany. Everything since has been a search for that identity.

Qualifying was less convincing than it should've been. They topped their European group but needed time to find their rhythm, and some performances raised more questions than they answered. The focus has been on rebuilding around young talent while retaining enough experience to handle the pressure of a World Cup. Coach Julian Nagelsmann has had to balance those competing demands while also navigating a national debate about goalkeeping that has consumed German football media.

The good news is that Nagelsmann has two of the best young playmakers in world football at his disposal. Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are capable of producing moments that leave defenders completely helpless, and when both are firing, Germany look genuinely frightening. Bayern Munich's 18-year-old Lennart Karl has also emerged as an exciting prospect. The concern is a defensive fragility that has surfaced in big matches, particularly when opponents press high and force Germany's center-backs into uncomfortable situations.

Group E pairs them with Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and Curacao. Germany should top the group, but it's not a walkover. Ivory Coast are reigning African champions with serious talent, Ecuador are one of the stingiest defensive teams in the world, and even Curacao won't be pushovers. The Ivory Coast match is appointment viewing and could be one of the group stage's best contests.

The real drama will come in the knockout rounds, where Germany's tournament pedigree has failed them in recent years. Nagelsmann needs his team to rediscover the ruthless efficiency that used to define German football at major tournaments. With Musiala and Wirtz in the squad, the talent is there to win the whole thing. The question is whether the scars of 2018 and 2022 have healed or whether they'll open again under pressure. Germany are always dangerous, but right now, they're also unpredictable. That combination makes them fascinating to watch.