From 1954 to 2014, Germany was a powerhouse in the World Cup. Die Mannschaft won four titles, lost four finals, and advanced to the knockout stages in every tournament. Inexplicably, Germany failed to make it out of the group stage in both 2018 and 2022, under 2014 winner Joachim Löw and Bayern Munich’s 2020 sextuple manager Hansi Flick, respectively.
Since winning the World Cup in 1966, England has consistently underperformed compared to lofty expectations. England has only reached the semifinals twice, mired by the stigma of being choke artists. Heading into the 2026 iteration of the prestigious tournament, England has the second best odds behind Spain. Germany has the seventh best odds, squeezed between Portugal and Netherlands.
“I can’t imagine England becoming world champions right now,” said Uli Hoeneß (via @iMiaSanMia). “If players like Musiala, Wirtz, and Woltemade are in top form for the World Cup, we can go very, very far.”
Hoeneß’ blunt statement will draw raised eyebrows, especially since England has outperformed Germany in every tournament since the 2016 Euros. Powered by Bayern’s very own Harry Kane, England looks to have the talent and experience to make a deep run. Germany’s talent mainly resides in its youth movement and is probably a four-year cycle away from making a deep World Cup run.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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