About Germany

The German Football Association (DFB) was founded on 28 January 1900 in Leipzig by representatives of 86 clubs, and joined FIFA in 1904 as the eighth member nation. With over 8 million members across 23,868 clubs as of 2025, it is the single largest sports federation in the world. The DFB is a UEFA founding member (1954) and its national team has competed at the highest level for over a century.

The men's national team has won the FIFA World Cup four times — 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014 — and the UEFA European Championship three times: 1972, 1980, and 1996. The 1954 triumph, known as the "Miracle of Bern," saw a West Germany side widely expected to lose defeat Hungary 3–2 in the final, becoming one of football's most iconic upsets. The 2014 World Cup victory in Brazil, sealed by Mario Götze's extra-time goal against Argentina, cemented Germany's status as one of the sport's true powers.

The women's team has been equally dominant, winning the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003 and 2007 and claiming eight UEFA Women's Championships between 1989 and 2013, as well as an Olympic gold medal in 2016. A dark chapter in the DFB's history was its conduct during the Nazi era, when Jewish players' records were erased — the federation has since made efforts to formally restore and acknowledge these histories.