Germany’s disappointment at the 2018 FIFA World Cup forced changes to the national team, as manager Joachim Low opted to stay away from the top job last year.
Hansi Flick has re-injected optimism into his squad ahead of the 2022 edition in Qatar, with Germany’s World Cup record making them among the favorites.
Despite a group stage exit in Russia four years ago, Germany has been one of the most consistent national teams in World Cup history, with two semi-finals and a runner-up finish since 2002 and a triumph in 2014.
With a balanced squad, an experienced core, and some of Europe’s most exciting young players, Flick will be confident of repairing the damage in 2018, although injuries to star players Timo Werner and Marco Reus have complicated matters.
Germany World Cup Squad 2022
It was a case of big names missing out due to injuries when Flick announced a 26-man squad for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
For some time it was known that Leipzig forward Werner would miss the showpiece event with a foot injury but the news that Dortmund’s Reus will also miss the tournament has caused a sense of sadness among the German ranks and supporters alike.
Wonder kid Florian Wirtz also missed out after failing to recover from injury in time and there was no place for decorated center-back Mats Hummels.
But there is one surprise inclusion in the form of midfielder Mario Gotze, who has not played for the German national team since 2017.
The World Cup-winning goalscorer in 2014 has enjoyed some exceptional form in recent seasons, at PSV, and now with Eintracht Frankfurt, Flick sees him as the perfect replacement for Reus.
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
| GK | 1 | Manuel Neuer | Bayern Munich (GER) | 36 | 114 |
| GK | 22 | Marc-Andre ter Stegen | Barcelona (SPA) | 30 | 30 |
| GK | 12 | Kevin Trapp | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 32 | 6 |
| DEF | 25 | Armel Bella-Kotchap | Southampton (ENG) | 20 | 2 |
| DEF | 4 | Mattias Ginter | SC Freiburg (GER) | 28 | 47 |
| DEF | 20 | Christian Gunter | Freiburg (GER) | 29 | 7 |
| DEF | 5 | Thilo Kehrer | West Ham (ENG) | 26 | 23 |
| DEF | 16 | Lukas Klostermann | RB Leipzig (GER) | 26 | 19 |
| DEF | 3 | David Raum | RB Leipzig (GER) | 24 | 12 |
| DEF | 2 | Antonio Rudiger | Real Madrid (SPA) | 29 | 54 |
| DEF | 23 | Nico Schlotterbeck | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 22 | 6 |
| DEF | 15 | Niklas Sule | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 27 | 42 |
| MID | 17 | Julian Brandt | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 26 | 39 |
| MID | 8 | Leon Goretzka | Bayern Munich (GER) | 27 | 44 |
| MID | 21 | Ilkay Gundogan | Manchester City (ENG) | 31 | 63 |
| MID | 11 | Mario Gotze | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 30 | 63 |
| MID | 18 | Jonas Hofmann | B. Monchengladbach (GER) | 30 | 17 |
| MID | 6 | Joshua Kimmich | Bayern Munich (GER) | 27 | 71 |
| MID | 14 | Jamal Musiala | Bayern Munich (GER) | 19 | 17 |
| MID | 13 | Thomas Muller | Bayern Munich (GER) | 33 | 118 |
| MID | 19 | Leroy Sane | Bayern Munich (GER) | 26 | 48 |
| Forward | 26 | Youssoufa Moukoko | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 17 | 1 |
| Forward | 24 | Karim Adeyemi | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 20 | 4 |
| Forward | 9 | Niclas Fullkrug | Werder Bremen (GER) | 29 | 1 |
| Forward | 10 | Serge Gnabry | Bayern Munich (GER) | 27 | 36 |
| Forward | 7 | Kai Havertz | Chelsea (ENG) | 23 | 31 |
The stars, strengths, and weaknesses of the Germany national team
In 2018, Germany was eliminated from the group stage at the World Cup in Russia. There will be some pressure to erase Flick from the national football memory.
2018 is likely to be a blip on Germany’s World Cup record, with the minimum semi-final appearance in every other edition since the turn of the century.
Flick has a reputation as one of the best youth coaches in the international game, but he didn’t do it justice when he was eliminated from the round of 16 at Euro 2021.
STARS
The Bayern Munich duo of Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller look set for their final World Cup, but it is their Bavarian teammates who could hold the key to a flick in Qatar.
Joshua Kimmich’s excellence as a midfield pivot, along with the goals and creativity of Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, is the foundation on which Germany is built.
POWERS
Antonio Rudiger will underpin the German defense as part of the Neuer-Kimmich-Muller backbone and it will be his ability to control central areas that could be crucial for Flick.
Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan will partner Kimmich in midfield with Leon Goretzka should Germany need an extra body in midfield.
WEAKNESS
Flick Müller and Chelsea star Kai Havertz are likely to rotate as false No. 9s in the line-up, but despite significant goal-scoring ability, they lack the ability of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Robert Lewandowski. As the main attacker.
Timo Werner has regained his form at RB Leipzig this season, but a torn ankle ligament injury on November 2 ruled him out of the competition.