This is a record of the men's Germany and West Germany's results at the FIFA World Cup. For Germany's World Cup history, FIFA considers only the teams managed by the German Football Association, comprising three periods: Germany (during Nazi era), West Germany and reunified Germany. The men's Germany national football team is one of the most successful national teams at the FIFA World Cup, winning four titles, earning second-place and third-place finishes four times each and one fourth-place finish. Germany's 12 podium finishes (3rd place or better) in 21 tournaments add up to at least three more than any other nation. In addition, until they failed to reach the round of 16 in 2022 and 2026, Germany was the only team to stand on the podium at least once during the completed decades in which at least one tournament was held (1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s). Along with Argentina, Brazil and Spain, they are one of the four national teams to win outside their continental confederation, with the title of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in South America. The team qualified for every FIFA World Cup tournament they have entered (21 out of the 23), the second most frequent, and only failed to reach the quarter-finals four times, in 1938, 2018, 2022 and 2026. With this, Germany's 8th place or better (quarter-finals) in 17 out of 21 tournaments (81%) ranks the second highest in FIFA World Cup finals history, only behind Brazil (19 out of 22 tournaments for a 86%). It makes Germany the best team in the history of the tournament in terms of final positions, if points were awarded proportionally for a title, runner-up finish, third-place finish and semi-final and the second best team in terms of quarter-final appearances.

Records 1930–1938 as → → 1950–1990 as 1994–present as

Champions   Runners-up   Third place   Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPosition*SquadCampaign 1930Did not enterDid not enter— 1934Third place3rd4301118Squad 110091 1934 1938First round10th201135Squad 3300111 1938 1950Banned from enteringBanned from entering1950 1954Champions1st65012514Squad43101231954 1958Fourth place4th62221214SquadQualified as defending champions1958 1962Quarter-finals7th421142Squad44001151962 1966Runners-up2nd6411156Squad43101421966 1970Third place3rd65011710Squad 6510203 1970 1974Champions1st7601134SquadQualified as hosts1974 1978Quarter-finals6th6141105SquadQualified as defending champions1978 1982Runners-up2nd73221210Squad88003331982 1986Runners-up2nd732287Squad85212291986 1990Champions1st7520155Squad63301331990 1994Quarter-finals5th531197Squad Qualified as defending champions1994 19987th531186Squad106402391998 2002Runners-up2nd7511143Squad1063119122002 2006Third place3rd7511146SquadQualified as hosts 2006 2010Third place3rd7502165Squad108202652010 2014Champions1st7610184Squad1091036102014 2018Group stage22nd310224Squad1010004342018 202217th311165Squad109013642022 2026Round of 3218th4211115Squad65011632026 2030To be determined To be determined 2034 Total4 Titles116 7022*24243135—1108818434477Total * Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Germany's World Cup recordFirst match Germany 5–2 (27 May 1934; Florence, Italy)Biggest win 8–0 (1 June 2002; Sapporo, Japan)Biggest defeat 8–3 (20 June 1954; Basel, Switzerland)Best resultChampions in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014Worst resultFirst round exits in 1938 (straight knockout format), 2018 and 2022 (both group stage exits).

Winning World Cups Year Manager Captain Winning goalscorer(s) 1954 Sepp Herberger Fritz Walter Helmut Rahn 1974 Helmut Schön Franz Beckenbauer Gerd Müller 1990 Franz Beckenbauer Lothar Matthäus Andreas Brehme 2014 Joachim Löw Philipp Lahm Mario Götze

FIFA World Cup finals

1954 World Cup Final v Hungary

Only 14 days before the final, West Germany played the favoured Hungarian Golden Team in the first round of the tournament and suffered a 3–8 loss, which remains their largest World Cup defeat. In the final, Hungary was up by two goals after only eight minutes, so it came as a surprise that the West German team not only quickly equalised but turned the game around in the 84th minute with a goal scored by Helmut Rahn.

GK 1 Toni TurekRB 7 Josef PosipalCB 10Werner LiebrichLB 3 Werner KohlmeyerHB 6 Horst EckelHB 8 Karl MaiIR 13Max MorlockIL 16Fritz Walter (c)OR 12Helmut RahnCF 15Ottmar WalterOL 20Hans SchäferManager: Sepp Herberger GK 1 Gyula GrosicsRB 2 Jenő BuzánszkyCB 3 Gyula LórántLB 4 Mihály LantosHB 5 József BozsikHB 6 József ZakariásRW 11Zoltán CziborAM 9 Nándor HidegkutiLW 20Mihály TóthCF 8 Sándor KocsisCF 10Ferenc Puskás (c)Manager: Gusztáv Sebes

1966 World Cup Final v England

The strongly contested game between host nation England and West Germany went into extra time after a score of 2-2 after 90 minutes. Geoff Hurst's goal in the 101st minute is one of the most controversial in football history: His shot bounced off the cross-bar onto the ground and back away from the goal. After a brief discussion with the Azerbaijani linesman Tofiq Bahramov, referee Gottfried Dienst awarded the goal. With the West Germans forced to press for the equalizer, Hurst converted a counterattack in the 120th minute and decided the match for England.

GK 1 Gordon BanksRB 2 George CohenCB 5 Jack CharltonCB 6 Bobby Moore (c)LB 3 Ray WilsonDM 4 Nobby StilesRM 7 Alan BallAM 9 Bobby CharltonLM 16Martin Peters CF 10Geoff HurstCF 21Roger HuntManager: Alf Ramsey GK 1 Hans TilkowskiRB 2 Horst-Dieter HöttgesCB 5 Willi SchulzCB 6 Wolfgang WeberLB 3 Karl-Heinz SchnellingerCM 4 Franz BeckenbauerCM 12Wolfgang OverathRF 8 Helmut HallerCF 9 Uwe Seeler (c)CF 10Sigfried HeldLF 11Lothar EmmerichManager: Helmut Schön

1974 World Cup Final v the Netherlands

West Germany reached the final as host nation in 1974 and were facing their neighbours and rivals from the Netherlands. After an early penalty scored by Johan Neeskens, West Germany turned the game around to win their second World Cup trophy.

GK 8 Jan JongbloedRB 20Wim SuurbierCB 17Wim Rijsbergen CB 2 Arie HaanLB 12Ruud KrolRM 6 Wim JansenCM 13Johan Neeskens LM 3 Willem van Hanegem RF 16Johnny RepCF 14Johan Cruyff (c) LF 15Rob Rensenbrink Substitutes:GK 18Piet SchrijversDF 5 Rinus IsraëlMF 7 Theo de Jong MF 10René van de Kerkhof FW 9 Piet KeizerManager: Rinus Michels GK 1 Sepp MaierRB 2 Berti Vogts CB 5 Franz Beckenbauer (c)CB 4 Hans-Georg SchwarzenbeckLB 3 Paul BreitnerRM 16Rainer BonhofCM 14Uli HoeneßLM 12Wolfgang OverathRF 9 Jürgen GrabowskiCF 13Gerd MüllerLF 17Bernd HölzenbeinSubstitutes:GK 21Norbert NigburDF 6 Horst-Dieter HöttgesMF 8 Bernhard CullmannMF 15Heinz FloheFW 11Jupp HeynckesManager: Helmut Schön

1982 World Cup Final v Italy

Paul Breitner became only the third player in World Cup history to have scored in two separate finals, but only after the Italians had already taken a 3–0 lead after 81 minutes.

GK 1 Dino Zoff (c)SW 7 Gaetano ScireaCB 6 Claudio GentileCB 5 Fulvio CollovatiRWB3 Giuseppe BergomiLWB4 Antonio CabriniDM 13Gabriele Oriali RM 16Bruno Conti CM 14Marco TardelliLW 19Francesco Graziani CF 20Paolo RossiSubstitutions:GK 12Ivano BordonMF 10Giuseppe DossenaMF 11Giampiero MariniMF 15Franco Causio FW 18Alessandro Altobelli Manager: Enzo Bearzot GK 1 Harald SchumacherSW 15Uli Stielike RB 20Manfred KaltzCB 4 Karlheinz FörsterLB 5 Bernd FörsterRM 6 Wolfgang Dremmler CM 3 Paul BreitnerLM 2 Hans-Peter BriegelRW 11Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c) LW 7 Pierre Littbarski CF 8 Klaus FischerSubstitutions:GK 21 Bernd FrankeDF 12 Wilfried HannesMF 10Hansi Müller MF 14 Felix MagathFW 9 Horst Hrubesch Manager: Jupp Derwall

1986 World Cup Final v Argentina

With the highest attendance ever at a FIFA World Cup final, West Germany faced Argentina in Mexico City. Although the Argentinian star player Diego Maradona was closely guarded by the West German team, he assisted the decisive 3-2 scored by Jorge Burruchaga, ensuring his country's second World Cup win. Late during the match, three yellow cards were given to Argentinians for time wasting.

GK 18Nery Pumpido SW 5 José Luis BrownCB 9 José Luis CuciuffoCB 19Oscar RuggeriRWB 14Ricardo GiustiLWB 16Julio Olarticoechea DM 2 Sergio BatistaCM 12Héctor Enrique AM 7Jorge Burruchaga SS 10 Diego Maradona (c) CF 11Jorge ValdanoSubstitutions:MF 21Marcelo Trobbiani Manager: Carlos Bilardo GK 1 Harald SchumacherSW 17Ditmar JakobsCB 4 Karlheinz FörsterCB 2 Hans-Peter Briegel RWB14Thomas BertholdLWB3 Andreas BrehmeCM 6 Norbert EderCM 8 Lothar Matthäus AM 10Felix Magath CF 11Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c)CF 19Klaus Allofs Substitutions:FW 9 Rudi Völler FW 20Dieter Hoeneß Manager: Franz Beckenbauer

1990 World Cup Final v Argentina

For this re-match of the 1986 Final, Argentina played extremely defensively. Defender Pedro Monzón became the first player ever to receive a red card in a World Cup final, only to be joined by teammate Gustavo Dezotti 22 minutes later. Although West Germany was the dominating side with 23:1 shots, it is fitting that the rough match was decided by a penalty kick taken by Andreas Brehme.

Franz Beckenbauer achieved the feat to lose and then win a World Cup final each as player (1966, 1974) and manager (1986, 1990).

GK 1 Bodo IllgnerSW 5 Klaus AugenthalerCB 6 Guido BuchwaldCB 4 Jürgen KohlerRWB14Thomas Berthold LWB3 Andreas BrehmeCM 8 Thomas HäßlerCM 10Lothar Matthäus (c)CM 7 Pierre LittbarskiCF 9 Rudi Völler CF 18Jürgen KlinsmannSubstitutes:GK 12Raimond AumannDF 2 Stefan Reuter MF 15Uwe BeinMF 20Olaf ThonFW 13Karl-Heinz RiedleManager: Franz Beckenbauer GK 12Sergio GoycocheaSW 20Juan SimónCB 18José SerrizuelaCB 19Oscar Ruggeri RWB4 José BasualdoLWB17Roberto SensiniDM 13Néstor LorenzoCM 21Pedro Troglio AM 10Diego Maradona (c) CM 7 Jorge Burruchaga CF 9 Gustavo Dezotti Substitutes:GK 22Fabián CancelarichDF 5 Edgardo BauzaDF 15Pedro Monzón MF 6 Gabriel Calderón FW 3 Abel BalboManager: Carlos Bilardo

2002 World Cup Final v Brazil

With only one goal conceded during the six matches leading up to the final, hopes were on the German defence to withstand Brazil's star quality strikers. Germany's playmaker Michael Ballack was suspended for the final after picking his second yellow card of the tournament in the semi-final against South Korea. Two goals from Ronaldo in the middle of the second half decided the match in favour of the South Americans and ensured their record fifth title.

GK 1 Oliver Kahn (c)CB 2 Thomas LinkeCB 5 Carsten RamelowCB 21Christoph MetzelderRM 22Torsten FringsCM 8 Dietmar HamannCM 16Jens Jeremies LM 17Marco Bode AM 19Bernd SchneiderCF 11Miroslav Klose CF 7 Oliver NeuvilleSubstitutes:FW 20Oliver Bierhoff FW 14Gerald Asamoah MF 6 Christian Ziege Manager: Rudi Völler GK 1 MarcosCB 3 LúcioCB 5 EdmílsonCB 4 Roque Júnior RM 2 Cafu (c)CM 8 Gilberto SilvaCM 15KlébersonLM 6 Roberto CarlosAM 11Ronaldinho CF 10RivaldoCF 9 Ronaldo Substitutes:MF 19Juninho MF 17Denílson Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari

2014 World Cup Final v Argentina

Despite defeating host country Brazil 7–1, Germany was supported by the home fans due to Brazil's rivalry with Argentina. This record third match-up of two teams in World Cup finals saw good chances for both sides in regular time, but stayed goalless until substitute striker Mario Götze scored during the second half of extra time, in the 113th minute. The fourth title was the first since Germany's reunification in October 1990.