Early history

In 1955, the DFB decided to forbid women's football in all its clubs in West Germany. In its explanation, the DFB cited that "this combative sport is fundamentally foreign to the nature of women" and that "body and soul would inevitably suffer damage". Further, the "display of the body violates etiquette and decency".^[4] In spite of this ban, more than 150 unofficial international matches were played in the 1950s and 1960s. On 30 October 1970, the ban on women's football was lifted at the DFB annual convention.^[5]

Other football associations had already formed official women's national teams in the 1970s, the DFB long remained uninvolved in women's football. In 1981, DFB official Horst R. Schmidt was invited to send a team to the unofficial women's football world championship. Schmidt accepted the invitation but hid the fact that West Germany had no women's national team at the time.^[5] To avoid humiliation, the DFB sent the German club champions Bergisch Gladbach 09, who went on to win the tournament and repeat the same feat three years later in 1984.^[6] Seeing a need, the DFB established the women's national team in 1982. DFB president Hermann Neuberger appointed Gero Bisanz, an instructor at the Cologne Sports College, to set up the team.^[7]

1982–1994: Difficult beginnings and first European titles

In September 1982, Bisanz organised two scouting training courses from which he selected a squad of 16 players.^[8] The team's first international match took place on 10 November 1982 in Koblenz. Following the tradition of the men's team, Switzerland was chosen as West Germany's first opponent. Doris Kresimon scored the first international goal in the 25th minute. In the second half, 18-year-old Silvia Neid contributed two goals to the 5–1 victory; Neid later became the assistant coach in 1996 and the head coach in 2005.^[7]

With five draws and one defeat, West Germany failed to qualify for the inaugural 1984 European Championship, finishing third in the qualifying group.^[9] In the beginning, Bisanz's primary objective was to close the gap to the Scandinavian countries and Italy – then the strongest teams in Europe. He emphasized training in basic skills and the need for an effective youth programme.^[10] Starting in 1985, Bisanz increasingly called-up younger players, but at first had little success with this concept, as West Germany again failed to qualify for the 1987 European Championship finals.^[11]

Undefeated and without conceding a goal, the German team qualified for the European Championship for the first time in 1989; the tournament was played on home soil in West Germany. The semi-final against Italy was the first international women's football match shown live on German television.^[12] The game was decided by a penalty shootout, in which goalkeeper Marion Isbert saved three penalty kicks and scored the winning penalty herself. On 2 July 1989 in Osnabrück, West Germany played Norway in the final. Before a crowd of 22,000, they beat favourites Norway and won 4–1 with goals from Ursula Lohn, Heidi Mohr and Angelika Fehrmann. This victory marked the team's first international title.^[13]

After the German reunification, the East German football association joined the DFB. The East German women's national football team had played only one official international match, losing 0–3 to Czechoslovakia in a friendly match on 9 May 1990. The unified German team defended their title successfully at the 1991 European Championship. After winning all games in the qualifying group, Germany again met Italy in the semi-final, this time winning 3–0. On 14 July 1991, the German team once more faced Norway in the final. The game went to extra time, during which Heidi Mohr and Silvia Neid scored for Germany and secured the 3–1 victory.^[14]

In November 1991, Germany participated in the first Women's World Cup in China. Following victories over Nigeria, Taiwan and Italy, the German team reached the quarter-final without conceding a single goal. Silvia Neid scored the first German World Cup goal on 17 November 1991 against Nigeria. Germany won the quarter-final against Denmark 2–1 after extra time, but lost 2–5 in the semi-final to the United States, who went on to win the tournament. Following a 0–4 defeat in the third-place match against Sweden, Germany finished fourth in the tournament.^[15]

The German team failed to defend their title at the 1993 European Championship, suffering a semi-final defeat to Italy in a penalty shootout, and later losing 1–3 against Denmark in the third-place playoff.^[16] Despite the disappointing result, new talents such as Steffi Jones, Maren Meinert and Silke Rottenberg made their tournament debut and later became key players for the German team.^[12]

1995–2002: Olympic and World Cup disappointments

Birgit Prinz scored in a major tournament for the first time in 1995. In 1995, Germany won its third European Championship. After winning all qualification matches, scoring 55 goals, the German team defeated England 6–2 over two legs in the semi-final. Germany met Sweden in the final, which was played at the Fritz Walter Stadion in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on 26 March 1995. The Swedish team managed to score early, but Germany came back to win 3–2 with goals from Maren Meinert, Birgit Prinz and Bettina Wiegmann.^[17]

At the 1995 Women's World Cup in Sweden, the German team lost against the Scandinavian hosts, but still succeeded in winning their group by beating Japan and Brazil. Germany won the quarter-final against England 3–0, and defeated China 1–0 with a late goal by Bettina Wiegmann in the semi-final. On 18 June 1995 in Stockholm, the German team appeared in their first Women's World Cup final. Facing Norway, they lost the match 0–2, but as runners-up achieved their best World Cup result until then.^[18]

Women's football was first played as an Olympic sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Bettina Wiegmann scored the first Olympic goal in the opening match against Japan, which Germany won 3–2. After losing their second group game against Norway 2–3, and drawing with Brazil 1–1, Germany was eliminated, finishing third in the group with four points from three matches.^[19] Head coach Gero Bisanz resigned after the tournament and his assistant since 1983, Tina Theune, took over as the new national coach. Silvia Neid ended her playing career and was appointed the new assistant coach.^[20]

The 1997 European Championship was the first test for new coach Theune. Following a defeat against Norway, Germany finished second in the qualifying group and only secured qualification by beating Iceland in a relegation play-off. After drawing with Italy and Norway, a victory over Denmark in the last group game saw the German team go through to the knockout stage. They beat Sweden 1–0 in the semi-final, and on 12 July 1997, claimed their fourth European championship with a 2–0 win over Italy, with goals from Sandra Minnert and Birgit Prinz.^[21]

At the 1999 Women's World Cup in the United States, the German team also failed to qualify directly, but managed to beat Ukraine in a qualifying play-off. Germany started their World Cup campaign by drawing with Italy and winning 6–0 over Mexico. In the last group game, Germany drew 3–3 against Brazil; by conceding a last minute equalizer, Germany failed to win the group and subsequently had to face the hosts in the quarter-final. With 54,642 people in attendance, among them U.S. President Bill Clinton, the crowd at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium was the biggest the German team had ever played in front of. Despite leading twice, they lost 2–3 to the eventual World Cup winners.^[22]

Germany competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, winning all three group games against Australia, Brazil and Sweden. The German team dominated the semi-final against Norway, but lost the game 0–1 after an own goal by Tina Wunderlich in the 80th minute.^[23] They beat Brazil 2–0 in the third place match with goals from Birgit Prinz and Renate Lingor, and won the bronze medal.^[24] It was the first Olympic medal for the German Football Associations since 1988 when the men's team also won bronze.^[25]

In 2001, Germany hosted the European Championship. Following victories over Sweden, Russia and England in the group stage, the German team beat Norway 1–0 in the semi-final courtesy of a diving header by Sandra Smisek. On 7 July 2001 in Ulm, they met Sweden in the final, which was played in heavy rain. The game was scoreless after 90 minutes and went to extra time, where Claudia Müller scored a golden goal and secured the fifth European title for Germany.^[26]

2003–present: Two consecutive World Cup titles

Germany playing Sweden in the 2003 Women's World Cup final.

At the 2003 Women's World Cup in the United States, Germany was drawn in a group with Canada, Japan and Argentina. After winning all three group games, the German team defeated Russia 7–1 in the quarter-final, which set up another clash with the United States. Germany's Kerstin Garefrekes scored after 15 minutes and goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg made several key saves. In the dying minutes of the semi-final, Maren Meinert and Birgit Prinz sealed the 3–0 win. On 12 October 2003, Germany met Sweden in the World Cup final in Los Angeles. The Scandinavians went ahead before half time, but Maren Meinert equalized shortly after the break. The game went to extra time, where Nia Künzer headed the winning golden goal in the 98th minute to claim Germany's first Women's World Cup title.^[27] Birgit Prinz was honoured as the tournament's best player and top goalscorer.^[28]

With wins over China and Mexico, the German team finished first in their group at the 2004 Summer Olympics. They beat Nigeria 2–1 in the quarter-final, but suffered a 1–2 semi-final loss to the United States after extra time. In the third place match, Germany defeated Sweden 1–0 with a goal by Renate Lingor, winning the team's second Olympic bronze medal.^[29]

The 2005 European Championship was held in England. With wins over Norway, Italy and France in Round 1, the German team advanced to the semi-final, where they defeated Finland 4–1. On 19 June 2005, they met Norway for the third time in the European championship final. Germany won 3–1 with goals from Inka Grings, Renate Lingor and Birgit Prinz and added a sixth European title.^[30] Head coach Tina Theune stepped down after the tournament and her assistant Silvia Neid took over as national coach.^[20] In 2006, Germany won the annual Algarve Cup for the first time.^[31]

Nadine Angerer saved a penalty in the 2007 Women's World Cup final.

As reigning world champion, Germany played the opening game at the 2007 Women's World Cup in China, outclassing Argentina 11–0. After a goalless draw against England and a 2–0 win over Japan, the German team defeated North Korea 3–0 in the quarter-final. They beat Norway by the same result in the semi-final, with goals from Kerstin Stegemann, Martina Müller and a Norwegian own goal. On 30 September 2007, Germany faced Brazil in the World Cup final in Shanghai. Birgit Prinz put Germany in front after half time and goalkeeper Nadine Angerer saved a penalty by Brazilian Marta. Simone Laudehr scored a second goal after 86 minutes, which sealed the German 2–0 victory. Germany was the first team (men's and women's game) to win the World Cup without conceding a goal and the first to successfully defend the Women's World Cup title.^[32] With 14 goals, Prinz became the tournament's overall top goalscorer.^[33]

In a replay of the 2007 World Cup final, the German team drew 0–0 with Brazil in the opening game at the 2008 Summer Olympics. They then beat both Nigeria and North Korea to advance to the quarter-final, where they defeated Sweden 2–0 after extra time. In the semi-final, Germany again met Brazil. Birgit Prinz scored in the 10th minute, but the German team lost 1–4 after conceding three goals to Brazilian counter-attacks in the second half. They beat Japan 2–0 for the bronze medal, with Fatmire Bajramaj scoring both goals.^[34] The third consecutive semi-final loss at the Olympics was seen as a disappointment by both the players and the German press.^[35] The team's overall performance and head coach Silvia Neid were harshly criticised in the media.^[36]

Germany qualified for the 2009 European Championship in Finland winning all eight games and scoring 34 goals. They beat Norway, France and Iceland in the group stage to advance to the quarter-final, where they won 2–1 against Italy. After trailing Norway at half-time in the semi-final, the German team fought back to a 3–1 victory. On 10 September 2009, they defeated England 6–2 for their seventh European trophy. Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings scored twice, with Melanie Behringer and Kim Kulig also scoring.^[37] Grings retained her award as the tournament's top scorer from 2005, while Germany extended their winning streak at the European Championship finals to a 19-match run dating back to 1997.^[38]

Fara Williams calmly slots a penalty beyond Nadine Angerer at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, to inflict Germany's first ever defeat by England

Germany hosted the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and won the three games on the group stage, over Canada, France and Nigeria. On the quarterfinals, the team suffered an upset by Japan, who won on overtime with a goal by Karina Maruyama. The defeat broke the Germans' streak of sixteen undefeated games at the World Cup.^[39] By failing to finish among the top two UEFA teams, Germany was unable to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[40]

At the 2013 European Championship in Sweden, the Germans won their sixth straight continental title, with the decisive game being a 1–0 victory over Norway. Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, who stopped two penalties during the final, was chosen as the tournament's best player.^[41] The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup had Germany again reaching the top four. In the semi-final against the United States, Célia Šašić, who wound up as the tournament's top scorer, missed a penalty, and afterwards goals by Carli Lloyd and Kelley O'Hara lead to an American victory.^[42] The third place match saw the Germans lose their first ever match to England after 21 contests, due to a penalty kick by Fara Williams during extra time.^[43]

At the 2019 Women's World Cup Germany were in Group B with China PR, South Africa, and Spain. They topped the group with three wins and defeated Nigeria in the Round of 16.^[44] Germany was eliminated by Sweden in the quarter-finals, losing to them for the first time in 24 years and conceding their only goals of the tournament and so failed to qualify for the Olympic football tournament of Tokyo 2020.^[45]

At the 2022 European Championship, Germany reached the final, where the team lost 1–2 after extra time against the host of the tournament, England. For Germany, the record winners of the competition, this was their ninth appearance in a Euro final and the first in which they were defeated.^[46]

Germany entered the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup as one of the title favourites, being second in the FIFA Rankings at the time. Drawn into Group H alongside Morocco, Colombia, and South Korea, they seemed to have a strong start after defeating Morocco 6–0. However, they would lose to Colombia 2–1. After tying with South Korea 1–1 alongside Morocco's 1–0 victory against Colombia, they were eliminated and missed the knockout stage for the first time in their history. This was widely described as one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Women's World Cup.^[47][48][49]

Nicknames

The Germany women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as "Die Nationalelf (The National Eleven)".

Kits and crest

Emblem for the Olympic Games

The German women's national football team wears white shirts with black shorts and white socks, following the tradition of the German men's team – black and white are the colours of Prussia.^[50] The current change kit is all dark green.^[51] In the past, Germany also used green shirts with white shorts and green socks as the away kit, as well as a red and black kit, with black shorts and red socks.^[52]

The women's national team originally played with the emblem of the German men's team, a variation of the DFB logo with the Federal Eagle of Germany (Bundesadler) and three stars at the top for the men's 1954, 1974 and 1990 World Cup titles. Since their first Women's World Cup win in 2003, the team displays its own World Cup titles; initially with one star,^[53] and since 2007, with two stars at the top of the emblem.^[54] While being reigning world champions, Germany also displayed the newly created "FIFA Women's World Champions Badge" on their shirts from 2009 until 2011 when they were succeeded by Japan.^[55]

For the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, the team kit featured white socks, black shorts, and a primarily white jersey with a distorted version of a waving German flag rendered in black, red, and gold.^[56]

The current kit features a white crewneck jersey with a black horizontal pinstripe and the colors of the German flag at the sleeves.^[57]

Verse of the national anthem on the collar.

In accordance with the rules of the International Olympic Committee,^[58] Germany does not wear its official uniform with the logo of the German Football Association while competing at the Summer Olympics. Instead, the DFB badge is replaced by the coat of arms of Germany.^[54] Like all DFB squads, the women's national team is supplied by Adidas,^[51] which had provided a specifically designed female football jersey since 1999.^[59] The team's main sponsor is the German insurance company Allianz.^[60]

Home stadium

The Germany national football team has no national stadium. Like the men, the women's team play their home matches in different stadiums throughout the country. As of June 2011, they have played in 87 different German cities. Most home games have been held in Osnabrück with six matches, followed by Ulm (five games), and Bochum, Kaiserslautern, Koblenz, Lüdenscheid, Rheine, Siegen and Weil am Rhein (three games each).^[61] The first home match in former East Germany was played in Aue in May 1991.^[62]

Germany playing Brazil before a crowd of 44,825 in Frankfurt.

In the 1980s and 1990s, home matches were mostly played in smaller towns with no professional football clubs. As the team became more successful, especially after the World Cup win in 2003, the number of spectators rose accordingly. Today, the team usually plays in stadiums with 10,000 to 25,000 seats.^[63] The ten largest German cities have only hosted five international matches. The team have played twice in Frankfurt and Berlin, and once Hamburg. Bremen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Essen, Cologne, Munich and Stuttgart have never hosted an international match of the women's team.^[61]

Outside Germany, they have played the most games in Faro, Portugal (10 matches), and Guangzhou, China (six matches), the host cities of the annual Algarve Cup and the Four Nations Tournament respectively. They have also played five games in Albufeira, Portugal (also an Algarve Cup venue), and four times in Minneapolis in the United States.^[61]

The record attendance for Germany was 73,680 in the 2011 Women's World Cup opening game against Canada at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.^[64] That game also set a new European record in women's football. Away from home, the team's crowd record was 54,642 in the 1999 Women's World Cup quarter-final against the United States at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover.^[65]

Acceptance and popularity

For most of the 20th century, women's football was a niche sport in Germany and was frowned upon. When the DFB appointed Gero Bisanz to coach the newly founded women's national team, he was initially very reluctant about his assignment and feared it would harm his reputation.^[63] Winning the 1989 European Championship was the team's first international success, but it had little lasting effect on their popularity. As a gift for the first European trophy, every player received a tea set, which is often cited as an example of male chauvinism and general lack of interest in the women's national team at that time.^[63] This attitude within the German Football Association has changed considerably in the last two decades, in particular during the term of Theo Zwanziger as DFB president, an outspoken supporter of women's football.^[66] Each member of the 2003 Women's World Cup squad received a prearranged bonus of 15,000 euros for winning the tournament; four years later the players received 50,000 euros for their successful title defense.^[67] In 2009, one million of the 6.7 million DFB members were female.^[68]

The 2003 World Cup title marked the breakthrough for the women's national football team in Germany. The final was watched by 10.48 million viewers on German television (a 33.2 percent market share)^[69] and the German team was welcomed home by almost 10,000 fans at Frankfurt's city hall.^[70] Later that year, they were honoured as the 2003 German Sports Team of the Year.^[71] Nia Künzer's World Cup winning golden goal was voted Germany's 2003 Goal of the Year, the first time the award was won by a female player.^[72] Since 2005, almost all of the women's national football team's matches have been shown live on German television.^[73]

Arrival in Frankfurt after winning the 2007 Women's World Cup

The final of the 2007 Women's World Cup was seen by 9.05 million television viewers (a 50.5 percent market share).^[69] After the team returned to Germany, they were celebrated by a crowd of 20,000 in Frankfurt.^[70] In December 2007, all players of the World Cup squad received the Silberne Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf), the highest state decoration for athletes in Germany. National coach Silvia Neid was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon by German president Horst Köhler.^[74]

In 2009, the team's six home matches had an average attendance of 22,753.^[75] In a survey of German football fans, 65 percent of the male and 62 percent of the female respondents said they were interested in women's football.^[76] However, this popularity is mostly limited to international matches. Although the number of spectators in the women's Bundesliga has more than doubled since 2003,^[77] the average attendance in the 2007–08 season (887)^[78] was still less than three percent of that of the men's Bundesliga (38,612).^[79]

Women's football is socially accepted in Germany, although one of the main points of criticism remains the alleged lack of quality compared to the men's game. Most German players dismiss comparisons between the quality of men's and women's football; Renate Lingor has said they are "two entirely different sports".^[80] Players such as Simone Laudehr, Ariane Hingst and Melanie Behringer have stated that men's football is played at a slightly higher pace, but also has more interruptions and tackling than the women's game.^[59][81]

Women's football is the fastest growing sport in Germany.^[82] Attendance for the women's Bundesliga more than tripled in one year, with an average of 806 in 2022 to an average of 2,723 in 2023.^[83]

2023

Germany  v  Sweden

21 February Friendly	Germany	0–0	Sweden	Duisburg
18:15 UTC+1		Report		Stadium: MSV-Arena Attendance: 20,169 Referee: Shona Shukrula (Netherlands)

Netherlands  v  Germany

7 April Friendly	Netherlands	0–1	Germany	Sittard
20:00 UTC+2		Report	Lohmann 53'	Stadium: Fortuna Sittard Stadion Attendance: 10,789 Referee: Olatz Rivera Olmedo (Spain)

Germany  v  Brazil

11 April Friendly	Germany	1–2	Brazil	Nuremberg
18:00 UTC+2	Brand 90+2'	Report	Tamires 11' Borges 39'	Stadium: Max-Morlock-Stadion Attendance: 32,587 Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

Germany  v  Vietnam

24 June Friendly	Germany	2–1	Vietnam	Offenbach
18:15 UTC+2	Krumbiegel 3' Minge 80'	Report	Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã 90+3'	Stadium: Stadion am Bieberer Berg Attendance: 13,652 Referee: Rebecca Welch (England)

Germany  v  Zambia

7 July Friendly	Germany	2–3	Zambia	Fürth
20:30 UTC+2	Schüller 90+1' Popp 90+10'	Report	B. Banda 48', 90+12' Kundananji 54'	Stadium: Sportpark Ronhof Thomas Sommer Attendance: 11,404 Referee: Vivian Peeters (Netherlands)

Germany  v  Morocco

24 July 2023 World Cup GS	Germany	6–0	Morocco	Melbourne, Australia
18:30 UTC+10	Popp 11', 39' Bühl 46' El Haj 54' (o.g.) Mrabet 79' (o.g.) Schüller 90'	Report		Stadium: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium Attendance: 27,256 Referee: Tori Penso (United States)

Germany  v  Colombia

30 July 2023 World Cup GS	Germany	1–2	Colombia	Sydney, Australia
19:30 UTC+10	Popp 89' (pen.)	Report	Caicedo 52' Vanegas 90+7'	Stadium: Sydney Football Stadium Attendance: 40,499 Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)

South Korea  v  Germany

3 August 2023 World Cup GS	South Korea	1–1	Germany	Brisbane, Australia
20:00 UTC+10	Cho So-hyun 6'	Report	Popp 42'	Stadium: Lang Park Attendance: 38,945 Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)

Denmark  v  Germany

22 September Nations League	Denmark	2–0	Germany	Viborg
18:00 UTC+2	Vangsgaard 23', 64'	Report		Stadium: Viborg Stadium Attendance: 4,210 Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (Spain)

Germany  v  Iceland

26 September Nations League	Germany	4–0	Iceland	Bochum
18:15 UTC+2	Bühl 19', 78' Gwinn 35' (pen.) Schüller 42'	Report		Stadium: Ruhrstadion Attendance: 14,998 Referee: Alina Peşu (Romania)

Germany  v  Wales

27 October Nations League	Germany	5–1	Wales	Sinsheim
17:45 UTC+2	Schüller 25', 47' Gwinn 80' (pen.) Roberts 86' (o.g.) Anyomi 88'	Report	Holland 42'	Stadium: Rhein-Neckar-Arena Attendance: 20,107 Referee: Monika Mularczyk (Poland)

Iceland  v  Germany

31 October Nations League	Iceland	0–2	Germany	Reykjavík
19:00 UTC±0		Report	Gwinn 65' (pen.) Bühl 90+4'	Stadium: Laugardalsvöllur Attendance: 1,245 Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)

Germany  v  Denmark

1 December Nations League	Germany	3–0	Denmark	Rostock
20:30 UTC+1	Popp 14' Hegering 26' Bühl 90+3'	Report		Stadium: Ostseestadion Attendance: 19,180 Referee: Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi (Italy)

Wales  v  Germany

5 December Nations League	Wales	0–0	Germany	Swansea
18:30 UTC±0		Report		Stadium: Swansea Stadium Attendance: 5,982 Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)

2024

France  v  Germany

23 February 2023–24 UEFA Nations League SF	France	v	Germany	Décines-Charpieu
21:00		Report		Stadium: Parc Olympique Lyonnais

TBD v  Germany

28 February 2023–24 UEFA Nations League 3rd/F

TBD

v

Germany

Current technical staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Horst Hrubesch (interim)
Assistant coach	Britta Carlson
Assistant coach	Thomas Nörenberg
Goalkeeping coach	Michael Fuchs
Team doctor	Bernd Lasarzewski

Manager history

Name	Tenure	P	W	D	L	%	Achievements
Gero Bisanz	1982–1996	127	83	17	27	065.35	1984 European Championship – failed to qualify 1987 UEFA Euro – failed to qualify 1989 UEFA Euro – champion 1991 UEFA Euro – champion 1991 Women's World Cup – fourth place 1993 UEFA Euro – fourth place 1995 UEFA Euro – champion 1995 Women's World Cup – runner-up 1996 Summer Olympics – group stage
Tina Theune	1996–2005	135	93	18	24	068.89	1997 UEFA Euro – champion 1999 Women's World Cup – quarter-final 2000 Summer Olympics – bronze medal 2001 UEFA Euro – champion 2003 Women's World Cup – champion 2004 Summer Olympics – bronze medal 2005 UEFA Euro – champion
Silvia Neid	2005–2016	169	125	22	22	073.96	2007 Women's World Cup – champion 2008 Summer Olympics – bronze medal 2009 UEFA Euro – champion 2011 Women's World Cup – quarter-final 2012 Summer Olympics – failed to qualify 2013 UEFA Euro – champion 2015 Women's World Cup – fourth place 2016 Summer Olympics – champion
Steffi Jones	2016–2018	22	13	4	5	059.09	2017 UEFA Euro – quarter-final
Horst Hrubesch (interim)	2018	8	7	1	0	087.50
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg	2019–2023	57	40	5	12	070.18	2019 Women's World Cup – quarter-final 2020 Summer Olympics – failed to qualify 2022 UEFA Euro – runner-up
Horst Hrubesch (interim)	2023–	4	3	1	0	075.00
Total		522	364	68	90	069.73

*Key: P–games played, W–games won, D–games drawn; L–games lost, %–win percentage. Statistics as of 5 December 2023.^[61][84]

Former German international Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is the current head coach of the German women's national football team. The coach's official title is DFB-Trainer and he or she is employed by the German Football Association.^[85]

• Gero Bisanz (1982–1996) was the first coach of the women's national team. He selected his first squad in September 1982.^[10] At the same time, he also worked as the chief instructor for DFB coaching training from 1971 to 2000.^[8] Bisanz led the German team to three European Championships in 1989, 1991 and 1995.^[86] Under Bisanz, Germany also was runner-up at the 1995 Women's World Cup.^[18] He resigned after the German team was eliminated in Round 1 at the 1996 Summer Olympics.^[87] With his assistant since 1983, Tina Theune, he built a scouting system and was responsible for a new DFB youth programme.^[10]
• Tina Theune (1996–2005) took over as head coach after the 1996 Summer Olympics. She was the first woman to acquire the highest German football coaching license.^[20] Theune was responsible for three European Championship titles in 1997, 2001 and 2005.^[86] During her time as head coach, Germany won the bronze medal at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.^[88] Her biggest success was the 2003 Women's World Cup title.^[27] Theune is the most successful national coach to date.^[20] She benefited from an effective youth programme and integrated several Under-19 players into the nation team. Theune stepped down after winning the European Championship in 2005.^[20]
• Silvia Neid (2005–2016) was the team's assistant coach from 1996 to 2005 and the head coach of the German Under-19 team, winning the 2004 U-19 Women's World Championship.^[89] In July 2005, she became the team's head coach and the 2006 Algarve Cup marked her first tournament win.^[31] By winning the 2007 Women's World Cup, Neid became the first Germany national team coach of either gender to win the World Cup at the first attempt.^[32] At her first Summer Olympics as a coach in 2008, Germany won the bronze medal for a third time. Neid was also responsible for Germany's seventh European Championship in 2009. She coached the Germany national team until 2016 and her assistant was Ulrike Ballweg.^[85]
• On 30 March 2015, DFB announced that Steffi Jones (2016–2018) would become the new German head coach in 2016.^[90]
• Horst Hrubesch (2018) took over as the interim head coach from March to November 2018.^[91]
• Martina Voss-Tecklenburg (2019–2023) then became the new coach in 2019. The contract was voided in November 2023.^[92]
• Horst Hrubesch (2023–) again took over as the interim head coach in October 2023.^[93]

Current squad

The following players were named for the 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales on 1 and 5 December 2023.^[94]

Caps and goals as of 5 December 2023.^[95]

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Merle Frohms	(1995-01-28) 28 January 1995	47	0	VfL Wolfsburg
12	1GK	Ann-Katrin Berger	(1990-10-09) 9 October 1990	8	0	Chelsea
21	1GK	Stina Johannes	(2000-01-23) 23 January 2000	0	0	Eintracht Frankfurt
2	2DF	Sarai Linder	(1999-10-26) 26 October 1999	8	0	TSG Hoffenheim
3	2DF	Kathrin Hendrich	(1992-04-06) 6 April 1992	67	5	VfL Wolfsburg
4	2DF	Sophia Kleinherne	(2000-04-12) 12 April 2000	27	1	Eintracht Frankfurt
5	2DF	Marina Hegering	(1990-04-17) 17 April 1990	34	4	VfL Wolfsburg
15	2DF	Giulia Gwinn	(1999-07-02) 2 July 1999	39	6	Bayern Munich
17	2DF	Paulina Krumbiegel	(2000-10-27) 27 October 2000	10	4	TSG Hoffenheim
23	2DF	Sara Doorsoun	(1991-11-17) 17 November 1991	50	1	Eintracht Frankfurt
6	3MF	Sjoeke Nüsken	(2001-01-22) 22 January 2001	23	2	Chelsea
8	3MF	Sydney Lohmann	(2000-06-19) 19 June 2000	26	4	Bayern Munich
13	3MF	Sara Däbritz	(1995-02-15) 15 February 1995	103	17	Lyon
14	3MF	Lena Lattwein	(2000-05-02) 2 May 2000	36	1	VfL Wolfsburg
16	3MF	Linda Dallmann	(1994-09-02) 2 September 1994	59	12	Bayern Munich
20	3MF	Elisa Senß	(1997-01-10) 10 January 1997	2	0	Bayer Leverkusen
22	3MF	Jule Brand	(2002-10-16) 16 October 2002	39	7	VfL Wolfsburg
7	4FW	Lena Petermann	(1994-02-05) 5 February 1994	22	5	Leicester City
9	4FW	Svenja Huth	(1991-01-25) 25 January 1991	87	14	VfL Wolfsburg
11	4FW	Alexandra Popp (captain)	(1991-04-06) 6 April 1991	135	67	VfL Wolfsburg
18	4FW	Nicole Anyomi	(2000-02-10) 10 February 2000	23	2	Eintracht Frankfurt
19	4FW	Klara Bühl	(2000-12-07) 7 December 2000	44	19	Bayern Munich

Recent call-ups

The following players were named to a squad in the last 12 months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Ena Mahmutovic	(2003-12-23) 23 December 2003	0	0	MSV Duisburg	v.  Iceland, 31 October 2023
GK	Maria Luisa Grohs	(2001-06-13) 13 June 2001	0	0	Bayern Munich	v.  Brazil, 11 April 2023
DF	Felicitas Rauch	(1996-04-30) 30 April 1996	36	4	VfL Wolfsburg	v.  Iceland, 31 October 2023
DF	Carolin Simon	(1992-11-24) 24 November 1992	22	3	Bayern Munich	2023 FIFA Women's World Cup INJ
DF	Jana Feldkamp	(1998-03-15) 15 March 1998	15	0	TSG Hoffenheim	v.  Sweden, 21 February 2023
MF	Lina Magull	(1994-08-15) 15 August 1994	75	22	Bayern Munich	v.  Denmark, 1 December 2023
MF	Lena Oberdorf	(2001-12-19) 19 December 2001	44	3	VfL Wolfsburg	v.  Iceland, 31 October 2023
MF	Janina Minge	(1999-06-11) 11 June 1999	2	1	SC Freiburg	v.  Iceland, 31 October 2023
MF	Chantal Hagel	(1998-07-20) 20 July 1998	13	0	VfL Wolfsburg	v.  Iceland, 26 September 2023
MF	Melanie Leupolz	(1994-04-14) 14 April 1994	79	13	Chelsea	2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
FW	Laura Freigang	(1998-02-01) 1 February 1998	24	12	Eintracht Frankfurt	v.  Wales, 5 December 2023
FW	Lea Schüller	(1997-11-12) 12 November 1997	54	35	Bayern Munich	v.  Denmark, 1 December 2023
FW	Tabea Sellner	(1996-08-26) 26 August 1996	25	5	VfL Wolfsburg	2023 FIFA Women's World Cup PRE
FW	Melissa Kössler	(2000-03-04) 4 March 2000	1	0	TSG Hoffenheim	2023 FIFA Women's World Cup PRE
FW	Carlotta Wamser	(2003-11-01) 1 November 2003	0	0	Eintracht Frankfurt	2023 FIFA Women's World Cup PRE

Notes:

• PRE: Preliminary squad / standby
• INJ: Player withdrew due to injury

FIFA Women's World Cup

Germany is one of the most successful nations at the FIFA Women's World Cup, having won the tournament twice and finishing runner-up once.^[113] The German team won the World Cup in 2003 and 2007.^[27][32] At the first World Cup in 1991, they finished in fourth place.^[15] In 1995, Germany reached the World Cup final, but were defeated by Norway.^[18] The team's worst result was a Group stage exit in 2023. Overall, the German team has appeared in three Women's World Cup finals, and is a five-time semi-finalist. They have participated in every Women's World Cup and have a 31–6–10 win–draw–loss record.^[33]

FIFA Women's World Cup record									Qualification record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1991	Fourth place	6	4	0	2	13	10		UEFA Women's Euro 1991
1995	Runners-up	6	4	0	2	13	6		UEFA Women's Euro 1995
1999	Quarter-finals	4	1	2	1	12	7		8	5	1	2	15	6
2003	Champions	6	6	0	0	25	4		6	6	0	0	30	1
2007	Champions	6	5	1	0	21	0		8	8	0	0	31	3
2011	Quarter-finals	4	3	0	1	7	4		Qualified as host
2015	Fourth place	7	3	2	2	20	6		10	10	0	0	62	4
2019	Quarter-finals	5	4	0	1	10	2		8	7	0	1	38	3
2023	Group stage	3	1	1	1	8	3		10	9	0	1	47	5
2027	To be determined								To be determined
Total	9/10	47	31	6*	10	129	42		50	45	1*	4	223	20

*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.

***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Olympic Games

Women's football debuted at the 1996 Summer Olympics and Bettina Wiegmann scored the first Olympic goal in the opening game of the tournament. However, Germany failed to progress to the knockout stage and was eliminated after Round 1.^[19] Four years later the German team won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.^[24] They again finished third at both the 2004 and the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[29][34]

The German team has qualified for all Women's Olympic Football Tournaments until 2008. However, they failed to qualify for the 2012 tournament as UEFA used the 2011 World Cup for qualification, and Germany ended below France and Sweden.^[114] The German team beat Sweden in the Olympics final in Rio in 2016 to obtain their first Olympic gold medal.^[115]

Summer Olympics record
Year	Result	Matches	Wins	Draws	Losses	GF	GA
1996	Group stage	3	1	1	1	6	6
2000	Third place	5	4	0	1	8	2
2004	Third place	5	4	0	1	14	3
2008	Third place	6	4	1	1	7	4
2012	did not qualify
2016	Champions	6	4	1	1	14	6
2020	did not qualify
2024	to be determined
Total	5/7	25	17	3	5	49	21

UEFA Women's Championship

Germany failed to qualify for the first two UEFA European Championships in 1984 and 1987.^[9][11] Since 1989, the German team has participated in every tournament and is the record European champion with eight titles. Germany has won six consecutive championships from 1995 to 2013 and has an overall 31–6–3 win–draw–loss record.^[30] The worst German result at the European championship finals was finishing fifth in 2017.

UEFA Women's Championship record									Qualifying record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1984****	did not qualify								6	0	5	1	6	7
1987									6	2	1	3	5	7
1989	Champions	2	1	1	0	5	2		8	5	3	0	21	1
1991	Champions	2	2	0	0	6	1		8	7	1	0	24	2
1993	Fourth place	2	0	1	1	2	4		3	2	1	0	10	0
1995	Champions	3	3	0	0	14	4		8	8	0	0	60	0
1997	Champions	5	3	2	0	6	1		8	6	1	1	22	3
2001	Champions	5	5	0	0	13	1		6	5	1	0	27	5
2005	Champions	5	5	0	0	15	2		8	8	0	0	50	2
2009	Champions	6	6	0	0	21	5		8	8	0	0	34	1
2013	Champions	6	4	1	1	6	1		10	9	1	0	64	3
2017	Quarter-finals	4	2	1	1	5	3		8	8	0	0	35	0
2022	Runners-up	6	5	0	1	14	3		8	8	0	0	46	1
2025	to be determined								to be determined
Total	11/14	46	36	6*	4	107	27		95	76	14*	5	404	32

*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

**Gold background colour indicates that the tournament was won.

***Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.

****Missing flag indicates no host country; tournament was played in two-leg knockout rounds (with the exception of the 1995 final).

Major competitions

FIFA Women's World Cup

• Champions: 2003, 2007
• Runners-up: 1995
• Fourth place: 1991, 2015

UEFA Women's Championship

• Champions: 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013
• Runners-up: 2022
• Fourth place: 1993

Summer Olympic Games

• Gold Medal: 2016
• Bronze Medal: 2000, 2004, 2008

Minor competitions

Algarve Cup

• Champions: 2006, 2012, 2014, 2020
• Runners-up: 2005, 2010, 2013
• Third place: 2015
• Fourth place: 2002, 2008, 2009

Women's World Invitational Tournament

• Champions: 1981,^{[lower-alpha 1]} 1984^{[lower-alpha 2]}
• Third place: 1987^{[lower-alpha 3]}

SheBelieves Cup

• Runners-up: 2016, 2017
• Fourth place: 2018

Four Nations Tournament

• Runners-up: 2002
• Third place: 2003, 2005, 2007

Mundialito Cup

• Runners-up: 1984

Arnold Clark Cup

• Fourth place: 2022

Awards

FIFA Women's World Cup Fair Play Trophy

• Winners: 1991

FIFA Women's World Cup Most Entertaining Team

• Winners: 2003

German Sports Team of the Year

• Winners: 2003, 2009

Silbernes Lorbeerblatt

• Winners: 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2016

Bambi Award

• Winners: 2003, 2007