Germany World Cup draw 2022: Group E with Spain, Japan, matches, fixtures, star players, roster and coach

Germany will be keen to make amends for a nightmare showing when trying to defend the title at the last World Cup, as they enter a major tournament without Joachim Low for the first time in almost two decades. 

Low served as assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann when Die Mannschaft plotted a path to the semifinals on home soil in 2006, before beginning his own acclaimed 15-year tenure as head coach.

The highlight of that era came as Germany lifted a fourth world title at Brazil 2014 and, after a disappointing European Championship campaign marked Low’s farewell last year, his former assistant Hansi Flick will lead an exciting new generation keen to make amends in Qatar.

MORE WORLD CUP 2022:
Full draw results | TV schedule | Latest news

Germany finished surprisingly bottom of their group at Russia 2018, and will have work to do to advance this year after being pitted with fellow European heavyweights Spain, as well as Japan and an as yet to-be-determined fourth side, who will be either New Zealand or Costa Rica, pending their playoff meeting.

Germany World Cup draw Group E

Germany will do battle against one of Europe's other elite countries in Group E, as they go up against Spain in their second fixture on Nov. 27.

They have also been drawn with Japan and the winners of the playoff match to be played in June between Costa Rica and New Zealand.

Japan qualified in second place in their Asian section, and Germany will want to avoid losing to another Asian country following their defeat to South Korea in 2018.

Expect Spain and Germany to start as the fancied teams to progress, with Japan and Costa Rica or New Zealand hoping to pull off a shock.

World Cup Group E table & fixtures

* = Winner of Intercontinental Playoff (Costa Rica vs. New Zealand)

Group E match schedule

Germany All-Time World Cup Groups

Germany FIFA World Cup 2022 squad

Germany are still considered amongst the elite of international football. Historically, the country has always been an elite side when competing in International tournaments, and it doesn't seem that that will change in the coming years either.

Despite that, they are ranked only 11th in the world, but the FIFA World Rankings aren't the official representation of the quality that Germany possess.

• Current FIFA World Ranking: No. 11 (February 2022)
• World Cup titles: 4
• World Cup appearances (last): 17 (2018)
• How qualified: European Qualifiers, Group J, 1st Place
• Record
  • 2021 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 9-0-1 (36/03)
  • 2022 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 0-0-0 (00/00)

📍🇩🇪Frankfurt pic.twitter.com/NmizSWOfD5

— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) March 24, 2022

With a squad as enriched with talent as Germany, there are plenty of players to watch out for from across Europe's top five leagues. 

There are plenty of experienced names such as Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer who have been in the side for well over 10 years at this stage, who are both key to the structure of this team.

Young, exciting forwards in the form of Serge Gnabry, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane are household names in the football world and are all extremely talented. One to watch out for is RB Salzburg's Karim Adeyemi, who's energy and pace has caused problems not only in Austria, but in the UEFA Champions League as well.

Other players to watch include Munich's Jamal Musiala, who at 19 is a prominent squad member for club and country. Don't discount the importance of Ilkay Gundogan and Leon Goretzka in midfield, who both contribute goals and assists for club and country.

MORE: How does the 2022 World Cup draw work?

• Star Players: Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, Manuel Neuer
• Players to Watch: Serge Gnabry, Antonio Rudiger, Jamal Musiala
• Captain (Vice-captain): Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich
• Players to play in WCQ: 33
• Players in Top 5 Euro leagues (% of WCQ pool): 32 (97%)

Germany's squad lies within one of the best in International football as it combines brilliant young players with incredibly experienced senior players, some of whom lifted the World Cup in 2014. 

This young and exciting side are one of the best sides to watch, given their mesmeric talent across the board and a coach who already conquered club football prior to taking the national job.  

Projected Germany starting XI

4-2-3-1 (left to right): Neuer — Kehrer, Sule, Rudiger, Hofmann — Kimmich, Gundogan, Goretzka — Sane, Havertz, Gnabry.

Germany Strengths:

Boasting one of the world's most talented starting lineups and squad depth, Germany consistently produces some of the best players in the world, presenting a fearsome challenge for any opponent. In both midfield and attack, head coach Hansi Flick has a wealth of talent to select from on any given match, allowing for squad rotation and fresh legs.

There is also a wealth of young talent coming through the German national team, and while there may not be places on the slim World Cup roster to select all from the likes of of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and Karim Adeyemi, this German side is set up for success now and in the future.

Germany Weaknesses:

If there's one position that Germany is weak(er) at, it's full-back. Then again, so is every country in this competition, where there's a shortage of top talent across the globe. The versatile Thilo Kehrer can play on either side or in the middle of defense, but opposite the PSG man, the choices of Lukas Klostermann, Jonas Hofmann, Christian Gunter, and David Raum don't exactly inspire confidence. Josh Kimmich can slide back to right-back in a pinch.

🎙️ @IlkayGuendogan: "There's a lot of dynamism in the training sessions, lots of intensity. We have great players with huge potential and a number of experienced lads too, including myself. It's a good mix."#DieMannschaft #GERISR pic.twitter.com/IWPNiBCpFh

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) March 25, 2022

Who is Germany's head coach?

Former Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick has been in charge of the German national team since August 2021, after he took over from Joachim Löw following his 15 year stint as manager.

Flick was fresh off the back of winning seven trophies in two years at Munich, as his desire to take over the job was common knowledge, given his time spent as the assistant manager to Low in the past. 

Germany have flourished in his care, winning seven games in a row scoring 31 goals and only conceding two - he's got them playing very similarly to that of his Munich team in those two season in charge.

• Manager (Nationality): Hansi Flick (German)
• Date hired: 1st August 2021
• Record as national team manager (W-L-D): 7-0-0
• Major titles since hire: 2022 World Cup Qualification
• Notable victories: Liechtenstein 9-0, Armenia 6-0, North Macedonia 4-0

MORE: Top teams out of 2022 World Cup

Germany's World Cup qualifying results 

As seen below, Germany eased to victory in Group J of the European World Cup qualifiers winning nine out of a possible 10 games scoring 36 goals in the process.

Albeit a weaker group on average, they still came through any sort of tests away from home with flying colours, beating Iceland and North Macedonia with ease. 

Goals also came from everywhere in the team too, with defenders and midfielders contributing just as much, if not more, than the forwards. 

Germany's World Cup Qualifying Leaders

Germany's FIFA World Cup history

Another elite club in international football, Germany are four-time winners of the competition and secured their last triumph in 2014, with THAT late Mario Gotze winner against Lionel Messi's Argentina. 

Since the addition of the group stage, Germany had never been eliminated in the (first) group stage of the competition until last tournament, reaching the knockout stage in every single World Cup until 2018. They've also reached four finals and finished third place three times on top of that too, making them an elite international football country.

Furthermore, Miroslav Klose boasts the most goals scored in World Cup history, finishing up with 16 goals to his name.

• World Cup appearances: 19
• Best Finish: Winners (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
• All-time goals scored: 226
• All-time goals conceded: 125
• All-time record (W-L-D): 67-20-22

*Host