By Amit Alhat, TIN24 EDITOR
dpa
31.12.2025, 11:57
Former Germany captain Lothar Matthäus is optimistic about the national team’s prospects at the upcoming 2026 World Cup, predicting a semi-final appearance in the expanded tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
In a fun prediction game featured in the Sport Bild weekly, Matthäus forecasted that Germany would advance to the final four but ultimately fall to reigning European champions Spain.
“Germany could be satisfied with their performance as things stand today. Reaching the semifinals would be a success,” Matthäus remarked.
He added a note of excitement about the team’s young talents: “But who knows: maybe Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Nick Woltemade and the others will conjure up such a frenzy during the tournament that they’ll go even further. One thing is clear: as captain of the 1990 World Cup winners, I would want nothing more than another World Cup victory.”
The 1990 World Cup-winning skipper sees no major hurdles for Germany in the group stage, which includes matches against Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. His specific predictions: a commanding 7-0 win over underdogs Curaçao, a 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast, and a 2-2 draw with Ecuador.
In the knockout stages, Matthäus envisions Germany losing 3-2 to Spain in extra time in the semi-finals—a repeat of the Euro 2024 quarter-final heartbreak. Spain would then go on to defeat England in the final, while Germany secures third place with a 2-1 win over Argentina.
“Of course these predictions are just for fun, small things can decide a knock-out stage match,” Matthäus cautioned, naming Spain and England as the “absolute” top favorites.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature an expanded format with 48 teams and 104 matches, running from June 11 to July 19.
Author: The India News 24
TIN24 (The India News 24) The India News 24 (TIN24) is a Mumbai-based news Digital Media focusing on breaking news, local and regional issues in India, with content primarily in Marathi. It was established with an X (Twitter) presence since July 2022. Owner & News Editor: Amit Alhat Education: BA in Mass Communication Journalism (Graduate) Experience: 12 years in journalism Platforms: - Website: https://theindianews24.in - X (Twitter): https://x.com/the_indianews24 - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theindianews247 - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theindianews_24
