Germany 2026 World Cup Team Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions & Best Bets

By Sarah Lou Jones | May 15, 2026, 5:51pm

Germany will be looking to lay some recent World Cup ghosts to rest as they enter the 2026 edition. After failing to reach the Knockout Stages in the last two tournaments, the four-times winners will be hoping they can reach the latter stages of World Cup 2026 at a minimum.

While of course this German squad contains talent, it isn’t anywhere near as strong as some of the frontrunners to win the World Cup. A vast improvement on their previous two World Cup outings is required, though. Germany is behind only Brazil in total number of World Cups won, but it’s difficult to see Julian Nagelsmann’s side winning a fifth title in 2026.

Germany 2026 World Cup Betting Odds

To Win World Cup:
To Reach Final:
To Reach Semifinal:
To Reach Quarterfinal:
To Win Group E:
To Advance From Group:
Group: Group E
FIFA Rank: 10

Germany are not amongst the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup. Instead, they seem to be the ‘best of the rest’, priced at around +1400 to win their fifth World Cup. These odds have piqued our interest a little – Germany have been placed in a Group with Ivory Coast, Ecuador and debutants Curacao. We’d expect Germany to qualify as Group Winners, which in turn should provide them with an easier route to the World Cup Final.

However, if Germany were to reach the Semi Finals or even the Quarter Finals, they’ll come up against some fantastic sides. As we touched upon earlier, while this Germany squad has talent, they’d be no match for sides such as France, Spain or Argentina should they meet.

Most sportsbooks have priced Germany at around +550 to reach the World Cup Final, with odds of +260 to make the Semis.

Germany 2026 World Cup Best Bet

It’s really difficult to judge how well Germany will perform at the World Cup 2026. On paper, they should breeze through the Group. If so, they should have a reasonable potential route to the latter stages of the tournament at least. However, it’s hard to look past Germany’s failures of the past two tournaments.

We do like the look of odds of +130 for Germany to reach the Quarter Final stage. For our best bet, though, we’ve gone for Deniz Undav to be Germany’s top goalscorer. We expect Undav to get the nod over Nick Woltemade to lead the Germany line, with Kai Havertz playing more as an attacking midfielder.

Germany Best Bet: Deniz Undav Team Top Goalscorer (+650)

Germany 2026 World Cup Players to Watch

Florian Wirtz: After becoming the most expensive signing in English Premier League history, Wirtz endured a difficult start to life at Liverpool. However, his performances in the second half of the season have improved and he’ll be a key player for Germany in this year’s World Cup. His country will certainly need him to be at his very best if they’re to reach the latter stages of this year’s tournament.

Jamal Musiala: Musiala is one of the most exciting young talents in world soccer right now. He’s missed a lot of this season through injury, but a fully fit Musiala will cause any opponent problems. We can’t wait to see what the Bayern Munich superstar can achieve at the World Cup 2026.

Deniz Undav: We’re excited to see striker Undav in this year’s World Cup. The Stuttgart striker has scored 19 Bundesliga goals this season, correct at the time of writing, as he looks to help his side secure Champions League qualification. He’ll be Germany’s key man, too. If Germany were to progress, it would be Undav scoring the majority of goals. Undav is priced at around +650 to be Germany’s top goalscorer in this year’s World Cup.

Germany World Cup History

Germany are one of the most successful sides in World Cup history. They are tied with Italy for most World Cup Final wins. Both countries have won the competition on four occasions, behind only Brazil who top the list with five World Cups.

Germany’s last success came in 2014. Since then, though, they’ve failed to reach the Knockout Stages. 2018 was the first time since 1954 that Germany failed to reach at least the Quarter Final stage.

Photo Credit: AP/Matthias Schrader

Sarah Lou Jones

Sarah Lou Jones is a sports content writer who has written about sports and casino betting for websites across the globe. Her work has been featured in online publications from the UK, USA and Canada, along with East Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe. While Sarah Lou enjoys a wide range of sports and events, her passion lies in soccer. She has written extensively about betting on soccer leagues and tournaments, ranging from the FIFA World Cup and AFCON to the English Premier League and Major League Soccer. Sarah Lou is an expert in odds analysis and finding value in betting. Away from content writing, Sarah Lou is a soccer coach for Manchester Laces, based in the UK. Sarah lives in Manchester and is an avid supporter of Premier League club Manchester City.