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Germany are one of the most successful teams in international football. They have won four FIFA World Cups, three UEFA European Championships and one Confederations Cup. They have also finished runners-up four times at the World Cup and thrice at the Euros.
The likes of Karl-Heinze Rummenigge, Lothar Matthaus, Gerd Muller and Matthias Sammer, among others, have worn German colours and tasted success. Franz Beckenbauer was arguably the most influential and impactful of them all. He captained the team to international as well as European glory.
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Players like Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Ballack and Mats Hummels have been good torch-bearers for the national team in recent times. Germany have and should continue to produce exciting young talent year after year.
On that note, here's a look at Germany's five greatest players in the 21st century:
#5 Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil was born in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany, in 1988. He came through the ranks at Schalke 04, and debuted for them in 2006. Ozil has represented various clubs, including Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Fenerbahce.
Ozil has won five domestic cups and one league title. He has played 631 total games so far, scoring 113 goals and providing 221 assists. He is known for his vision, passing range, unique ball-kicking technique and ability to play the final ball.
The assist-king has topped several charts in his career, including the assists charts at the FIFA World Cup, Premier League and La Liga, among others.
Ozil has provided some gorgeous assists over the years. In a game for Arsenal against Aston Villa, the German produced a sublime flick to send Olivier Giroud through on goal. The Frenchman obliged and scored.
Ozil also scored a stunning goal for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League against Ludogorets Razgrad. He ran half the length of the pitch before dummying to beat two defenders, and slotting the ball into an empty net.
Ozil had six great years at the highest level during which he created moments of magic for both club and country. The German currently plays for Fenerbahce in the Turkish League, and will hope to end the season strongly.
#4 Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos was born in Greifswald, East Germany, in 1990. He came through the ranks at Bayern Munich, and made his senior debut with them in 2007. Seven years later, he joined Real Madrid, and has since been one of the most important midfielders in their history.
The German has won five league titles, two domestic cups, five FIFA Club World Cups and four UEFA Champions League titles. He has played 625 club games, scoring 70 goals and assisting 150. Kroos has also played 106 games for Germany, scoring 17 and assisting 19.
Toni Kroos won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany. He scored two and assisted four in his team's triumphant campaign.
Kroos is also great at striking the ball, which he showed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The German scored a last-ditch free-kick against Sweden in the group stage to keep his team in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.
Kroos announced his retirement from international football this year following Germany's 2-0 loss to England in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020. He is still going strong for Real Madrid, who are comfortably atop the La Liga table.
#3 Manuel Neuer
Manuel Peter Neuer was born in Gelsenkirchen, West Germany, in 1986. He came through the ranks at Schalke 04 before making his senior debut for them in 2004. Bayern Munich were impressed with the German shot-stopper, and signed him seven years later. He has been with the Bavarian club since then.
Neuer has made 717 club appearances, and kept 331 clean sheets. He has conceded 598 goals during this period. The custodian has won nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal, six DFL-Supercup, two FIFA Club World Cup and two UEFA Champions League titles.
With Germany, Neuer won the U-21 European Championship in 2009 and the FIFA World Cup in 2014. He was awarded the Golden Glove at the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
The German is unique in his own right, and is often credited with making the 'sweeper-keeper' position mainstream. One can often find Neuer not too far from his centre-backs, and sometimes even near the halfway line.
You can see his positioning in the image below:
Neuer still plays for Bayern Munich, who are going into Christmas top of the Bundesliga table yet again.
#2 Philipp Lahm
Philipp Lahm was born in Munich, West Germany, in 1983. He came through the ranks at Bayern Munich's youth academy before debuting for their senior team in 2001. Lahm spent all his career at Bayern, bar two years between 2003-05 when he was on loan at Stuttgart.
The German played 652 club games, scoring 22 goals and providing 77 assists. What's truly incredible about Lahm is that he ended his career without ever getting shown a red card, despite playing as a defender.
Lahm played 113 games for Germany, scoring five goals and assisting 17. He captained a ruthless German team to the 2014 FIFA World Cup title.
The German won eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal, three DFL Supercup, one FIFA Club World Cup and one UEFA Champions League.
Lahm announced his retirement from international football soon after Germany's triumph at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He retired from club football three years later.
#1 Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller was born in Weilheim in Oberbayern, West Germany, in 1989. He came through the ranks at Bayern Munich, where he made his senior debut in 2008. He has since played for the Bavarian giants, and has been one of their most underrated stars.
Muller has scored 222 goals and provided 254 assists in 608 games for Bayern Munich. He has won ten Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokal, seven DFL-Supercups, two FIFA Club World Cup and two UEFA Champions League titles. He also won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany.
Recently, Muller provided his 13th assist of the season, breaking his own record for most assists halfway through a Bundesliga season.
Thomas Muller has an incredible record for Germany, playing 110 games, scoring 42 goals and providing 40 assists. He is joint-eighth in the team's all-time scoring list, tied with Michael Ballack.
Muller is still playing for Bayern Munich, where he is looking to win another league and continental title.
