Germany in the World Cup Finals

Germany qualified for the 2006 World Cup Finals as hosts.

World Cup Appearances:
Germany 2006 is united Germany's 6th appearance in the World Cup Finals.

West Germany made 10 appearances (playing in every World Cup finals from 1954 to 1990) and East Germany made one appearance -- in 1974 (where they even beat the hosts, West Germany, in the opening round).

Best World Cup Performance:
Winning the trophy, as West Germany, three times -- Switzerland 1954, West Germany 1974 and Italy 1990.

Runners-up in England 1966, Spain 1982, Mexico 1986 and Korea-Japan 2002.

Germany World Cup Preparations

Juergen Klinsmann's squad are preparing for the World Cup Finals, on home soil, with a pre-World Cup training camp on the shores of Lake Geneva; hoping to revive memories of the camp at Spiez, on Lake Thun, during the Switzerland 1954 World Cup campaign; when Germany beat a then invincible Hungary.

Then it's onto Duesseldorf (until June 3rd) before moving into their World Cup base in Berlin.

Germany Team Hotel
Schlosshotel im Grunewald:
Brahmsstrasse 10, Berlin.
Completely renovated in 1994, under the artistic direction of Karl Lagerfield, The Schlosshotel im Grunewald will be where the Germany team will stay during the 2006 World Cup Finals. It's hidden away in the forest, close to the Olympic Stadium.

Hotels in Berlin:
There's no shortage of a place to stay in Berlin. What you really need to decide is whereabouts in Berlin you'd prefer to be based. Pottsdam is a nice area, especially if you want to visit the Palace and its gardens.

Germany Friendly Matches
Lost to Italy (1-4), Wednesday 1st March. (Florence)
Robert Huth (82) scored the only goal in an humiliating defeat for the World Cup hosts.

Beat United States (4-1), Wednesday 22nd March. (Dortmund)
Goals from: Bastian Schweinsteiger (46), Oliver Neuville (73), Miroslav Klose (75) and Michael Ballack (79).

Luxembourg, Saturday 27th May. (Freiburg)

Japan, Tuesday 30th May. (Leverkusen)

Colombia, Friday 2nd June. (Mönchengladbach)

Germany in the 2006 World Cup
Group A
Friday, 9th June
Germany vs Costa Rica
München -- (18:00)

Wednesday, 14th June
Germany vs Poland
Dortmund -- (21:00)

Tuesday, 20th June
Ecuador vs Germany
Berlin -- (16:00)

Knockout Stage
Group A winner travels to Munich and the runner-up goes to Stuttgart.

Germany World Cup Squad 2006
Die Nationalelf

Goalkeepers:
1 Jens Lehmann (Arsenal, England)
12 Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich)
23 Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)

Defenders:
2 Marcell Jansen (Borussia Monchengladbach)
3 Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin)
4 Robert Huth (Chelsea, England)
6 Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen)
16 Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)
17 Per Mertesacker (Hannover)
21 Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfielders:
5 Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund)
8 Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen)
7 Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
13 Michael Ballack (Chelsea, England)
15 Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart)
18 Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen)
19 Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen)
22 David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards:
9 Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg)
10 Oliver Neuville (Borussia Monchengladbach)
11 Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen)
14 Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04)
20 Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne)

Trainer:
Juergen Klinsmann.

Players to watch:
13 Michael Ballack (Chelsea, England)
20 Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne)
22 David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund)
7 Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Destination Germany

Germany Travel Notes:
Find out more about Germany @ Travel Notes.