It wasn’t the World Cup that Germany had hoped for following an early exit in the round of 32, thus stretching its drought of not reaching at least the semifinals to three tournaments.
The four-time champions weren’t tabbed to win it all, but there’s always expectations of a deep run for this team. Things started off on the right foot with 7-1 win over debut side Curaçao in their Group E opener. That followed a 2-1 win over the Ivory Coast, but then 2-1 loss to Ecuador to close group stage play set the Germans back. Then it was a loss on penalties after a 1-1 draw to Paraguay in the round of 32 that sent the Germans home.
So what’s next for Germany’s top players after the 2026 World Cup?
Havertz finished with three goals for Germany, including two in the 7-1 victory over Curaçao. He scored the equalizer in the game against Paraguay, but his penalty attempt against Oscar Gill was saved.
Havertz was key to Arsenal’s Premier League winning campaign and scored in the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. He’ll be back in action for the Gunners, who’ll look to defend its league crown.
Things have been rocky lately for Germany’s talented attacking midfielder, who saw his first season at Liverpool fall short of lofty expectations. He scored just five goals in Premier League action amid questions on which position best suited him.
At the World Cup, he finished with three assists but couldn’t find the back of the net. He’ll now head back to Liverpool under new manager Andoni Iraola, where Wirtz will look to get back on track for both club and country.
Undav was Germany’s best player at the tournament despite being used as a substitute for most of it. He finished with three goals and two assists, including bagging a brace in the win over the Ivory Coast.
A well-traveled veteran at age 30, Undav returns to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, where he has been one of the team’s most consistent scorers.
Regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of all-time, Neuer became the oldest Germany player to feature at a major tournament, breaking the record previously held by Lothar Matthäus at 40 years and 79 days.
Neuer was the sole player on this squad who was part of the 2014 Germany team that won the World Cup. With four editions on his résumé and with the most World Cup games played by a goalkeeper, he’ll go down as a legend of the game.
Neuer retired from international duty after this summer, the second time he did so after initially saying he was done after the 2024 European Championship tournament. He continues to play for Bayern Munich, where he equally holds numerous records. He has a staggering 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League titles to his name.
