14 days to go: Team Germany Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

Two more weeks. That’s the time left until history is made, as the first winter World Cup kicks off at the Al Bayt Stadium, in Qatar.

Four-time champions and football powerhouse Germany will be a on a mission to restore their super status after a first-round exit, four years ago.

The shocking early departure of Germany in 2018 was their first since 1938 and first since the modern format of the global tournament.

Germany has been a dominant force in world football for many years.

Along with their four world titles, they have been European champions three times and finished between first and fourth place 12 times at the FIFA World Cup.

To paint a clearer picture of the durability of the German national team, the “Nationalelf “has been on the FIFA World Cup podium each decade a World Cup was hosted.

Germany is the only nation to have won a male and female World Cup and the lone European nation to win a world title on American soil (Brazil, 2014).

Despite those illustrious accolades, the 2018 early World Cup exit revealed some deficiencies in the German camp, which led to a near-relegation from the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2018, their first World Cup Qualification defeat since 2002, at the feet of minnows North Macedonia and a Round of 16 exit from the 2021 European Championship; their first at this stage in international competition.

Now under the charge of a new coach and some graduates from the German academy system, Germany will be aiming to return to their traditional glory days.

Country: Germany

Capital: Berlin

Population: 83.1 million

Confederation: UEFA (Europe)

Group: E

Professional League: German Bundesliga

World Cup appearances: 20 (2022)

Qualification status: UEFA Group J winners

Key players: Manuel Neur (Bayern Munich, Germany), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Spain), Ilkay Gundogan (Germany), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich, Germany), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Coach: Hansi Flick (German)

Group mates: Spain, Costa Rica, Japan

Predictions: Group winners and quarterfinals at least, but as usual, a tournament contender.

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