GERMANY
Germany hop over the border needing a change of scene. Their desperate group-stage exit at the 2023 World Cup is receding in the rear-view mirror, obscured somewhat by the bronze medal they secured at last summer’s Olympics, beating Spain to do so.
Words Jessy Parker Humphreys
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, who oversaw that Gotterdammerung in Australia, is gone, as is Olympics interim Horst Hrubesch. Instead, company man Christian Wuck, who guided Germany’s under-17 male team to Euros and World Cup glory in 2023, is in charge. The eight-time champions’ European pedigree is unparalleled.
It’s no exaggeration to say this is their competition, an astonishing six consecutive triumphs between 1995 and 2013 testament to an entrenched winning mentality, albeit one that has faltered since. Olympic gold in 2016 is the DFB-Frauenteam’s only major honour in 12 years, with memories of Chloe Kelly’s extra-time final winner for England at Euro 2022 still raw. This tournament represents the start of a new era. Long-serving legends Alexandra Popp and Svenja Huth have stepped away, while 30-year-old Lina Magull, Germany’s goalscorer in the 2022 final, announced her international retirement in March after falling out of the picture.