Nickname(s):
Germany: Die Mannschaft (The Team)
Mexico: El Tricolor (The Tricolor)
The road to the World Cup:
Germany is one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, having won a total of four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014). Germany is the only nation to have won both the men's and women's World Cups and after the 2017 Confederations Cup it became one of the only four nations – alongside Brazil, Argentina, and France- to win all three most important men's titles recognized by FIFA: The World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament. Germany took qualification by storm, winning all 10 of their matches scoring an average of 4.3 goals per game.
Twenty-one different players (plus own goal) scored for Germany in qualification. Scoring goals is clearly not a problem for the Germans but keeping them out seems to be even easier.
Manuel Neuer is known to be one of the world's best goalkeepers and, despite serious injuries this season, he should be fit in time for The World Cup.
The big problem for Joachim Low will be selecting the side due to the vast amount of amazing players.
Mexico has qualified to sixteen World Cups and has qualified consecutively since 1994, making it one of six countries to do so. The Mexico national team, along with Brazil and Germany, nations to make it out of the group stage over the last six World Cups. Mexico has never had any success at the World Cup but is one of America's most successful sides winning the CONCACAF Cup ten times. The Mexicans qualified for the World Cup top of their qualification group without losing a match.
They only conceded one goal in the 6 matches that they played, a penalty from El Salvador’s Alexander Larín. There are a number of players in the Mexico side that won Olympic gold medals in London during the 2012 games.
FIFA Rankings
Germany:
- Current - 1
- Highest - 1
- Lowest – 22
Mexico:
- Current - 15
- Highest - 4
- Lowest - 47
Coaches & Captains
Germany: Joachim Low & Manuel Neuer
Mexico: Juan Carlos Osorio & Andres Guardado
Performance and key’s players:
Germany
The current world champions, Germany, return to the global stage in Russia this summer hoping to become the first country since Brazil in 1962, to retain the World Cup trophy. Since Low became a manager, Germany has not exited an international tournament before the semi-final stage.
Germany is always one of the favorites for every tournament that they participate in and have a brilliant track record at the World Cup. Die Mannschaft final squad has one big question to answer- Why Sane was dropped from the team. The 22-year-old is coming off the back of an impressive season at club level which saw him collect a Premier League and Carabao Cup double. Alongside Sane, Bayer Leverkusen duo Bernd Leno and Jonathan also miss out, as does Freiburg striker Nils Petersen.
Four years is a long time in football and there are very few survivors from Germany's World Cup-winning squad of 2014. Captain Phillip Lahm, along with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, and Per Mertesacker have all retired from international football.
On the other side the players who are going to Russia are ready to put their names in the history books- Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Julian Draxler (PSG), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart) and Timo Werner (RB Leipzig). The class and the experience that this team has is making them a favorite and for sure we will see them on the semi-finals and who knows, maybe on the final again!
Mexico
Is Mexico a dark horse at the 2018 World Cup? Interestingly, Mexico hasn't failed to progress past the group stage since 1986 and have one of the more experienced sides at the tournament.
Guillermo Ochoa became a worldwide sensation for his heroics at the 2014 World Cup against Brazil but the Mexicans will be hoping for a hero at the other end of the pitch in Russia. Javier Hernandez became Mexico's all-time erasing goal scorer when he netted against Croatia in 2017. Javier Hernandez needs just two goals to become Mexico's greatest ever goal scorer at the World Cup finals. Mexico announced its 23-man squad Saturday, cutting Oswaldo Alanis, Jurgen Damm, and Jesus Molina. Center-back Nestor Araujo was named to Osorio's provisional roster but did not join camp because of the effects of a knee injury that ruled him out of this summer's tournament. The team has 12 players that play for European clubs, the most in history for Mexico, and three more based in MLS. There also is a record number of World Cup returnees with 16 players boasting experience at a previous tournament. Hugo Ayala (Tigres), Carlos Salcedo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Hector Moreno (Real Sociedad), Rafael Marquez (Atlas), Marco Fabian (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jonathan Dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Giovani dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Hector Herrera (Porto), Andres Guardado (Real Betis), Carlos Vela (LAFC), Hernandez (West Ham United), Raul Jimenez (Benfica) are very experienced players and they know how to play in World Cup finals. Mexico team has the potential to surprise any team and they are definitely ready for the challenge.
Prediction
The last time when Germany played against Mexico was in the FIFA Confederations Cup. They met at the semi-finals and Germany win with 4-1. Two early goals from Leon Goretzka in the 6th and the 8th minute gave Die Mannschaft a comforting lead and they had no problem to finish the game with a style. This game will be totally different, all the world expect Germany to win again but it will not be so easy this time. Germany will have the position of the ball and they will be the team who is leading the game. Mexico will try to organize counterattacks and put a high pressure in the center, but if Kroos and Ozil make a good performance is very likely Germany to take the win. Is it possible The Champions Curse for the European teams to happen again? We are about to see!
Germany to win (5 points) ❌
Over 2.5 goals in the game (3 points) ❌
Germany to win both halves(2 points) ❌
Timo Werner to score a goal (1 point) ❌
ENJOY THE GAME!
GOOD LUCK!