It is no secret that Germany has recently been on the periphery of football. The once-European footballing giant has become ordinary and has been overtaken by nations like France, Italy and even Portugal in recent years.

Die Mannschaft's most recent major success came in 2014 when they defeated Argentina in the final in Brazil to lift their fourth World Cup title. 

However, since their success in South America, Germany has struggled to impose itself on other teams in major tournaments.

Their last three major tournaments have been incredibly disappointing as Germany crashed out in the first or second hurdle in those tournaments, resulting in several managerial changes. 

First, Joachim Low ran out of ideas, and then Hansi Flick sought to restore Germany’s pride, but to no avail. 

Now Julian Naglesmann has begun well, and Germany is gradually gaining respect among international teams.

However, Die Mannschaft is still ranked ninth in Europe by FIFA. Despite their seemingly poor ranking, they remain one of the teams to watch in this year's European Championship, given their status as hosts. 

Apart from being the tournament's hosts, Germany has also hit a new level under Julian Nagelsmann.

The former Bayern and RB Leipzig boss has spent just seven months in the German dugout, but his impact is already being felt. 

He began his reign with a decent 3-1 win over before suffering a three-game winless run against Mexico (D:2-2), Turkey (L:3-2) and Austria (L:2-0). 

But Germany’s most impressive showings under Naglesmann so far came in their most recent outings against France (W:2-0) and the Netherlands (W:2-1). 

Those wins against the two European giants showed how good Germany can become under the young coach.

It was not just the results that made German fans happy and excited about the footballing future of their nation; it was the way they played. 

For the first time in a while, Germany played with a real identity and completely outclassed their opponents from start to finish. Although the games were only friendlies, Germany’s quality was evident as they bossed France and the Netherlands, controlling 56% of the ball and out-shooting their opponents in both games.

With Germany hitting form at the right time, many Die Mannschaft fans are salivating about Germany’s prospects in the tournament. 

So, with less than three weeks to the tournament, the Euro 2024 tickets are already highly sought after, and Germany is considered one of the favourites.

But how do they compare to other nations like England, France and Portugal, who have one of the best squads in Europe? How strong is their squad, and who are their best players?

In this article, we run through the German squad, highlighting their strengths and available options.

Goalkeepers

Germany is well-stocked in the goalkeeping department, with Manuel Neuer usually the undisputed number one. 

The Bayern Munich goalie has been Die Mannschaft’s main man between the sticks since making his debut for Germany in 2009. 

The Bayern Munich man has close to 100 caps for Germany and, despite being 38, remains a solid option between the sticks. 

Neuer proved his class in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid with a string of fine saves. 

Although his side were ultimately knocked out, he proved his worth. The German set a new record this season by keeping his 58th clean sheet in the UCL; no one has managed more. 

So it is safe to say that in Manuel Neuer, Germany, has a solid hand between the sticks.

But beyond Neuer, Germany also has the ever-reliable Marc Andre ter-Stegen between the sticks. The Barcelona keeper has been the man between the sticks for Naglesmann in his last two games, so Neuer’s position is not entirely safe despite being top-quality.

Other goalkeeping options for Germany are Hoffenheim’s number one, Oliver Baumann and Stuttgart’s goalkeeper Alexander Nubel.

Defenders

Defence is another area of the pitch where Germany has many good hands. The biggest names on the list are Real Madrid’s star, Antonio Rudiger, RB Leipzig’s duo David Raum and Benjamin Henrichs, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, who is also the current national team vice-captain.

Mats Hummels' omission was the biggest news of the Euro 2024 squad announcement, with the Borussia Dortmund defender expected to be on the squad as he is one of the star names in Europe this season. 

But Julian Naglesmann thought it better to leave him out entirely despite his experience and good form.

However, in his absence, Naglesmann has many top options, with Stuttgart’s duo Maximilian Mittelstadt and Waldemar Anton, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Robin Koch, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, all top-quality defenders.

Naglesmann plays a back four with the national team, so he is expected to stick with the back four of Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rudiger, and Maximilian Mittelstadt, which started their recent wins against France and the Netherlands.

Midfield

Perhaps the biggest headline news of the Julian Naglesmann era is that midfield maestro Toni Kroos came out of international retirement to play for Germany again. 

The Real Madrid star announced in February that he will participate in this year’s Euro tournament after previously retiring in 2021. 

Sources close to the player claim Julian Naglesmann persuaded him to return to the national team, as he saw him as an integral part of his midfield.

And Kroos proved his worth on his return, assisting Florian Wirtz inside the first minute in his first game against France. 

With the 34-year-old now set to retire from football completely at the end of the season, this is another chance to add to his trophy collection with the national team, having previously won the World Cup with Germany in 2014.

Apart from Kroos, Germany is blessed with other big midfield stars like Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Chris Fuhrich (Stuttgart), Pascal Gross (Brighton) and Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich).

Meanwhile, Naglesmann has invited 20-year-old Bayern Munich’s midfield sensation Aleksandar Pavlovic. But the coach will likely start with a midfield five of Gundogan, Kroos, Andrich, Wirtz and Musiala.

Attack

Germany's attack may not be as well-stocked as their midfield, but they have solid options there.

Thomas Muller remains a solid attacker despite being in the twilight of his career. However, the Bayern Munich legend will not be starting games for the national team this summer, with Kai Harvetz, the man preferred to carry the goalscoring burden for Germany.

The Arsenal attacker can play as a midfielder and striker, having done so very well for the Gunners this season. He led the line for Die Mannschaft in their recent games against France and the Netherlands, contributing one goal.

Other names alongside him in attack are Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim), Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund), and Deniz Undav, who scored 18 league goals and registered ten assists for Stuttgart this season.

Coach

This article has already said a lot about Germany’s Julian Naglesmann, but the German deserves even more attention.

The German boss is a football outlier and one of the most revolutionary managers in the last decade. 

Despite being 36 years old, he has much experience, having managed at the top level since his late 20s. He will be the youngest manager in this year’s European Championship, as he will be 36 years and 327 days old when he takes charge of Germany's Euro 2024 opener against Scotland on June 14th.

Tactically, Naglesmann is one of the best brains in Europe, and he is one of the major reasons Germany has a chance of winning the European Championship this summer. 

His side has a relatively easy group, having been placed alongside Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland. 

They are the favourites to win the group. With a mix of youth and experience on this German side, the 36-year-old has all the tools to go the distance in the Euros this summer.