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Germany face Finland in their first pre-World Cup warm-up friendly as they look to find their rhythm ahead of next month's main event.
Julian Nagelsmann's squad sits comfortably in the second tier of tournament favorites. Following back-to-back group-stage eliminations at the last two World Cups, Germany can no longer be mentioned in the same breath as Argentina, Spain, France or England—nations that have consistently reached competition finals in recent years.
In a bid to rekindle the winning spirit that once saw Germany routinely labeled a Turniermannschaft—a tournament team—Nagelsmann brought back 2014 World Cup winner Manuel Neuer. However, the Bayern Munich shot-stopper, now 40, promptly suffered a calf injury that will rule him out of Sunday's friendly in Mainz.
Oliver Baumann is unlikely to be heavily tested against a Finland side that failed to qualify for the World Cup, having finished behind the Netherlands and Poland in their qualifying group.
Still, it will be fascinating to see how Nagelsmann deploys his outfield players in his second-to-last match before Germany's World Cup campaign opens with a challenging group-stage schedule against Curaçao, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador.
What Time Does Germany vs. Finland Kick Off?
How to Watch Germany vs. Finland on TV, Live Stream
For fans eager to get a taste of the action before the World Cup begins, there are plenty of ways to watch Germany's friendly. U.S. viewers can tune in via Fox Sports and fuboTV, while coverage in Mexico is primarily available through Sky Sports.
Canadian fans can access the international friendly on DAZN, though U.K. viewers will need to pay up to preview Germany's World Cup form. Amazon Prime is broadcasting the match, albeit behind a small paywall.
Country | TV/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Amazon Prime PPV |
United States | Fox Sports 2, fuboTV, Foxsports.com, ViXFOX Sports App, FOX One |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
Mexico | Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+, izzi |
What Next for Germany?
Germany has one more friendly to get through before the serious business begins—and there will be considerable attention on their showdown with co-hosts USMNT on Saturday, June 6. Mauricio Pochettino's side has carefully assembled a high-profile lineup of pre-tournament fixtures to sharpen up ahead of a World Cup on home soil.
The rationale behind scheduling matches against the likes of Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany is clear—after years of limited competitive fixtures due to the absence of World Cup qualifiers, Pochettino is keen to put his squad through their paces before the tournament begins. Unfortunately, the rise of the UEFA Nations League and this year's Africa Cup of Nations calendar meant the USMNT could only arrange opponents of this quality in the three months directly before the tournament.
Whether Germany will add to the growing anxiety within the U.S. camp ahead of what could be an uncomfortable home tournament remains to be seen.