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Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad remains one of the defining groups of the modern international era, with Mario Götze’s extra-time goal against Argentina still the image most closely tied to that triumph. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Joachim Löw’s title-winning squad now tells a very different story: a handful are still playing, several have moved into coaching or media, and others have stepped into administrative roles across football.
Götze’s goal in the 113th minute settled the final and delivered Germany a fourth world title. Yet the 23-man squad was shaped by far more than one decisive finish, from Manuel Neuer’s command in goal to Thomas Müller’s goals, Toni Kroos’s control in midfield and a defence that carried Germany through victories over France, Brazil and Argentina.
Neuer Still Active As Several Defenders Move Into New Roles
Manuel Neuer remains the most prominent active figure from Germany’s 2014 squad. He played every minute of that World Cup-winning campaign, kept four clean sheets and collected the Golden Glove, and he is still going strong more than a decade later.
Ron-Robert Zieler is also still active and now plays for 1. FC Köln, while Roman Weidenfeller retired in 2018 and remains with Borussia Dortmund as the club’s international ambassador.
Among the defenders, Philipp Lahm’s post-playing path has been one of the most visible. Germany’s captain retired from international football immediately after lifting the trophy, ended his club career with Bayern Munich in 2017 and later served as tournament director for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.
Jérôme Boateng and Mats Hummels both extended their careers deep into the following decade before retiring in 2025. Benedikt Höwedes retired in 2020 and has since worked with the German national team as an assistant coach while also appearing as a television pundit. Per Mertesacker retired fully in 2018 and now combines punditry work with his role as manager of Arsenal’s academy.
Shkodran Mustafi is now assistant coach of Germany’s Under-21 side after retiring in 2023. Erik Durm retired in 2024 and works as an ambassador for Jako. Matthias Ginter remains active with SC Freiburg and was still in national-team contention in 2023, while Kevin Großkreutz continues to play in the lower levels of German football.
Midfield Core Split Between Retirement, Media And One More Active Star
Germany’s midfield from 2014 has largely moved into retirement, but not all of it has left the pitch. Mario Götze, the final match-winner, is still playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, although he no longer features internationally. Julian Draxler also remains active and now plays for Al Ahli in the Qatar Stars League.
Toni Kroos is no longer playing at the top level after calling time on his career following another Champions League triumph with Real Madrid. His 2014 World Cup remains one of the standout tournaments by any midfielder in the modern era, with two goals and four assists, including his decisive role in the 7-1 semifinal against Brazil.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira have both moved into studio and analyst work since retiring. Christoph Kramer, who started the 2014 final, retired in 2024 and also moved into punditry. Mesut Özil ended his club career in 2023 after already stepping away from international football in 2018, and his post-playing career has moved into business and political roles.
Müller, Podolski And Klose Took Three Different Paths
Thomas Müller remains one of the most recognisable names from Germany’s World Cup-winning squad, but he is no longer in the Bundesliga. After establishing himself as Bayern Munich’s all-time appearance leader, Müller moved to MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025 and helped them reach the MLS Cup in his first season.
Lukas Podolski has taken a different route entirely. Germany’s third-highest scorer in history is still playing in his forties and now turns out for Górnik Zabrze in Poland. Miroslav Klose, meanwhile, retired after the 2014 World Cup as both Germany’s all-time leading scorer and the World Cup’s record scorer, and he is now head coach of FC Nürnberg in the 2. Bundesliga.
André Schürrle, who replaced Kramer in the final and assisted Götze’s winning goal, retired in 2020 at the age of 29. Since then, his life after football has been defined by extreme sports rather than coaching or broadcasting.
Joachim Löw’s Squad Has Become A Football Network Of Its Own
Joachim Löw left the Germany job in 2021 after becoming the national team coach with the most matches managed and won. Since 2025, the former World Cup-winning manager has supported SOS Humanity, a German NGO involved in the private rescue of refugees in distress at sea in the Mediterranean.
That wider picture may be the clearest sign of what became of Germany’s 2014 World Cup squad. Some, like Neuer, Götze, Ginter, Draxler, Podolski and Zieler, are still active. Others now shape the game from the dugout, academy offices, television studios and ambassadorial roles.
The squad that beat Argentina in Brazil has not disappeared. It has simply spread across football, carrying the weight of one of Germany’s most significant titles into a very different era.