While not a fan of the bloated 48-team World Cup this summer, Andreas Rettig admits anticipation is high as Germany enter the decisive phase of their preparation. Following two consecutive World Cup campaigns that saw Germany fail to get out of their group, the Director of Football at the German Football Association (DFB) knows the goal in 2026 is clear.
"The goal would be for us to ultimately rank among the top five nations in the world. If we perform better than our current FIFA World Ranking [ninth], that would be a success," Rettig told DW.
Rettig: 'Values-based order has fallen into disarray'
The 63-year-old enjoys talking about the Germany team, but just as with the last World Cup in Qatar four years ago, this tournament is also being overshadowed by non-football topics.
Inflated ticket prices, entry bans for five participating nations, excessively high local transportation costs, and geopolitical tensions in the major host nation, the USA, are causing great concern among fans. The war launched by the USA and President Donald Trump against World Cup participant Iran, as well as domestic political debates stemming from the overly harsh tactics of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), are in particular focus.
