Thomas Müller Calls for Modest Expectations for Germany

Former German international Thomas Müller has urged the public to temper their expectations regarding the national team's chances of winning the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

“Of course, as a footballing nation, we in Germany have certain expectations. But you can't expect the team to be aiming for the title from start to finish. Yet, in Germany, when people talk about the World Cup, that's often the general tone and primary expectation,” said the 2014 World Champion during an event at the German House of Football in New York.

“I think we first need to give ourselves a chance to reach the knockout stages, and also to evaluate our performance, not just the result. We should talk less about the final and more about the fact that there's a path we need to navigate, and we'll tackle that together. The most important thing, however, is that Germany is in a position to beat any opponent. If I had to compare, I'd say we're more in a 2010 mode, where we are very, very strong contenders,” Müller emphasized. Germany finished third at the World Cup that year.

The German national team has now kicked off their campaign with a dominant 7-1 victory against minnows Curaçao, with their next match scheduled against Ivory Coast on Saturday. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old veteran retired from the national team after Euro 2024. Last year, he departed Bayern Munich, where he enjoyed a stellar career, to join Vancouver Whitecaps.