Germany has won four FIFA World Cups, and their teams have usually been among the top seeds. German sides have played in some classic FIFA World Cup matches against England, Italy, Brazil, and Hungary, and others on the way to glory. These are a few of the greatest Germany games in the FIFA World Cup.
When Germany reached their first FIFA World Cup final, they were not the favorite to lift the trophy. The Hungarians had some great players, especially up front, such as Kocsis and Puskas, who had scored many goals in that World Cup and set new records. They had also played West Germany in the group stages and beaten them 8-3.
In a rain-soaked final, the Hungarians duly took their expected lead in the first half. Within 10 minutes, the Germans were trailing by two goals, and the Hungarians seemed well on their way to victory. However, the game quickly turned when Germany scored soon after Hungary’s second, and a second German goal in the first half ensured that the teams were level at the interval.
After the interval, the Hungarians pressed forward for the winning goal. But the ball would not go in the German net. A few minutes from the end of the game, the Germans scored a third goal, which won the game. Hungary’s unbeaten run had ended, and for West Germany, it was their first triumph in the FIFA World Cup.
After 1966, the German and English teams met again in the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Both teams made it to the quarter-finals, and it was there that they played for a place in the semi-finals. Before the game, Banks was unavailable for England, but the Three Lions went two goals in front before half-time.
However, in the second half, Germany got back in the match when Beckenbauer scored. Within the final 10 minutes, the Germans equalized to take the game to extra time. Hurst had a goal ruled out in the extra-time period, before the Germans scored a third goal that sealed a memorable comeback. It was a great revenge victory after their defeat in the 1966 final, but the Germans weren’t celebrating at the end of the semi-final, which they lost to the Italians.
The 1974 FIFA World Cup was played in Germany with both East German and West German teams. However, it was the West German team that had the better players, and their team went all the way to the final. In the final, they came up against a Cruyff-inspired Holland, which had dazzled in previous games in the finals.
Holland went a goal up in the first few minutes when a penalty was given and duly converted. However, they could not clinch a second goal, and Germany got back in the game when the referee gave a second penalty. From the spot they equalized, and shortly before the interval, Muller scored a decisive second goal. As neither team could score in the second half, the 1974 FIFA World Cup was effectively won within the first half, and West Germany lifted the trophy.
Another classic England vs Germany game, this time at Italia ’90. England and Germany met in the semi-finals, a game that included the eventual winners of that World Cup. The Germans scored first with a deflected free-kick which beat Shilton, but within the final 10 minutes England equalized to take the match to extra-time.
During the period, no teams could score a winning goal, although both struck the woodwork, and one England goal was offside. With the final score 1-1, penalties were taken, and two of England’s were missed, which ensured Germany’s victory. They went on to win the FIFA World Cup with a 1-0 victory against Argentina in a somewhat drab final.
Although Germany won the final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their fantastic semi-final hammering of the hosts Brazil in the semi-final was the most memorable match of their triumphant campaign. Germany destroyed Brazil with an unbelievable first-half goal glut that left the Mineirão in stunned silence and tears (from the Brazilian fans at least). The Germans scored five goals in the first 30 minutes of this match, making the second half irrelevant. Yet, the Germans scored twice more after the interval, with Brazil pulling one back, to make the final score 7-1.
These games were the best German matches in the FIFA World Cup. Their final victories against great Hungarian and Dutch teams, as well as their biggest triumphs against the English and Brazilians, were among the most memorable in German history. The Germans will hope for more great games like those in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“You can never write off the Germans” is one of soccer’s biggest clichés precisely because of Germany’s greatest matches like those above. That cliché has taken a slight knock in recent years with early German exits at two FIFA World Cups. Yet, the Germans have now climbed back into the top ten of the FIFA World Rankings and seem to be heading in the right direction again. So, who would dare to write them off before the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
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