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The downfall of German football: A new generation knows only decline
🇩🇪 Germany /Sports

The downfall of German football: A new generation knows only decline

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The German national football team has experienced a significant decline, failing to advance past the preliminary round in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
  • In the 2026 World Cup, the team did not even reach the round of 16, despite facing relatively weak opponents.
  • This marks a stark contrast to previous eras where Germany frequently reached the finals, leading to concerns about the future of German football.

The state of German football is dire, with the national team's recent performances marking a historic low. For fans who grew up watching Germany consistently reach World Cup finals in the 1980s and 1990s, the current era is a stark disappointment.

Recent World Cups have seen a dramatic downturn. The team failed to advance beyond the preliminary round in both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. The 2026 World Cup proved even more dismal, with Germany not making it into the top 16 teams, a feat achieved despite not facing major footballing powerhouses. Ecuador, for instance, managed to win only one of its four matches – the one against Germany.

Compared to the struggles of 2018 and 2022, the performance in Qatar in 2022 now appears as a relative high point. This decline raises serious questions about the future trajectory of German football, as younger generations may only know of the team's past glories through historical records and documentaries.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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