It was the Federal Republic of Germany that won in '54, '74, '90 and 2014.
East Germany, the GDR, never won a World Cup. The GDR obviously stopped existing and the Federal Republic got a bit bigger in 1990.

So technically it is the 4th win for Germany. But you could argue that people who grew up in East Germany never had the opportunity to celebrate a World Cup win until last night.

Germany is Germany for many British people. I doubt all know the intricate detail of the German federal system. 16 federal states and so on.

Best is to say Germany is like having 16 Scotlands with some devolution attached ...

Well Bayern is essentially Devolution Max and I expect an Independence vote soon ...

They also didn't play in 2 tournaments.
1930 when it was too expensive for them and 1950 when they were still banned after the 2nd World War.

So out of the 20 World Cup tournaments they've only failed to reach the final in 10 of them.

I'd say Holland are in the top 5 pushing us out!

Their record is:
World Cup - 3 Finals ('74, '78 & '10) & 2 Semi Finals ('98 & '14)
European Championship - Champions ('88) & 4 Semi Finals ('76, '92, '00 & '04)

Sorry that is simply untrue. Many if not all Germans acknowledge their history and are fully aware of what and how it happened. It features heavily on the school syllabus.


I will admit that there will always be incredulity at their past, but the days of being held up to riducule for the sins of their fathers is long gone. Germans are a proud people and never more so than last night.

Dunno as a German in Britain for 20 years, I don't think that Germans are proud as British people are proud.

Especially the sentimental notion of military heroes and the Greatest Army in the World and similar is maybe confined to the sad minority in Germany that reads the "Landser".

You will also find very few real dealing with the British brutal past of oppressing most of the World here. Mau Mau uprising is dealt with as essentially "all jolly good fun" by Jeremy Paxman on of their most respected newsreporters.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...ing-thing.html

No Indian|Irish Famine and so on.

Britain does not learn and does not adapt and you will find the result of that stance from England's consistent defeat in football matches to the anti EU UKIP distaster with the central parties trying to get the extreme vote like the Zentralpartei did with the NSDAP.

Britain is also still ruled by a minority public school educated elite and on of their last prime ministers didn't dare to be Catholic until the end of his term.

I don't think that German national pride and British National Pride can be compared unless you want to go into the sad East German Nazis and Right wing voters which show unfiltered animal reptile brain nationalism best confined to a Zoo.

I never ever claimed it was. I was responding with my opinion that there is national pride in Germany. I never compared it to British National Pride, you have.

But thank you for your long resonse. I enjoyed reading your thoughts.

I have never heard a German football fan say that they put club before their country and would prefer Germany to fail at major tournaments if it meant their club won. I know many German football fans, but have never heard anyone say this and they are certainly all very proud of having a fantastic national football team. Genuine question for the few Germans on this forum - do you really support your club over your country?

I wouldn't trade winning a world cup if I had to watch the Bundesliga for the next 4 years. The English Premier League is a far better league and that's partly because we have a lot of foreign players in the UK.

Of course. Totally forgot Holland. Apologies to our Dutch friends!

Bearing in mind that England have failed to qualify for 3 World Cups and have made things difficult for themselves in other qualifying campaigns it's also interesting to see Germanys record in qualifying.

They've competed in 18 World Cups.
5 of these they didn't have to qualify for (3 because they were champions and 2 because they were hosts).
In the other 13 qualifying campaigns they've played 84, won 64, drawn 18 and lost 2.

Yes, they've only ever lost 2 WC qualifying games.
One of these was the 1-5 loss to England.

They're so consistent that they virtually guarantee themselves a QF place every tournament.

I'm not sure. Ive watched odd bundesliga highlights programmes on itv 4, and the games always seem very exciting. Lots of skill, and not so many non german players.

I think we might have a misunderstanding on our hands here. I didn't suggest that the Germans are not proud of their achievements, but that there is no identifiable patriotism about being German as such. I know, I teach at a gynasium and discuss this now and again with my Oberstufe. They say it themselves that they do not feel any elation about being German. Yes, when they do well at sport but not anything comparable to say how American citizens stand with hands on hearts or how the Brits love their Queen.

I think Germans are slightly embarrassed to admit they are patriotic. As I said earlier, I grew up in Germany and most of my closest friends are German (even though I don't support their national football team ) and they are VERY proud of Germany deep inside. The only time they are 'allowed' to express their pride though is during sports achievements.

Ah Okay, I understand. I supppose I was just thinking of my husband, grandma, nieces and nephews, extended friends and family who do have a National German pride.

Perhpas it is only sport, but man to a boy, they all burst with pride last night, for the magnificent game, the brilliant skill of the players and dare I say it, being German.

I suppose National pride my be a personal thing to those individuals we know ourselves.. but nonetheless I see it. in my own circle.

p.s. I think the 2006 World Cup changed things somewhat, I noticed the flag out on apartment balconie & houses that I hadn't ever seen before. Perhaps sport and the beautiful game have given the Germans back a sense of National pride.

Same amount of World Cups as Italy and less than Brazil.

Is the Premier League still far better? I'm not sure that's so true anymore. It's marketed better maybe.

Great. but it still doesnt make Germany popular

Popular to whome exactly Care to clarify

It's crap.

No it really isn't good. Get too good and Bayern just buy your best, it's a bore.

Well to you perhaps. I love it. Exciting, passionate, professional football. Not terms one could use to describe your premier leauge.

You only have to look at the Germans, Winners of the 2014 WORLD CUP to see the calibre of up and coming young men there are.

The Bundesliga is a Bayern bore.

The real football starts August 16th with the Barclays Premier League. In club football you don't need to be lucky enough to be born into a nation that has a realistic chance of winning the world cup. Club over country every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Ooer yer missus, get those toys back in the pram.

The difference is that there is very little jingoism in modern-day Germany- which is why I find the Germans generally very likeable.

As for the 'loving' the Queen, I don't think that most people British people give that much of a toss about her, but they're not republicans either who are also a minority- around the time of the Diamond Jubilee and the royal wedding the year before the people I know were more happy with the public holiday and the excuse to have a piss-up.