Germany certainly have had their fair share of triumphs and tribulations when it comes to the World Cup over the past few years. In 2014, die Mannschaft won their fourth title, posting a record win over then-hosts Brazil in the semi-finals before defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
However, four years later, the so-called "Winners Curse" struck once again, as Germany faced an embarrassing early exit from the 2018 World Cup. Now, four years later, and under the leadership of Hansi Flick, die Mannschaft once again will look to get their hands on the coveted prize.
A handful of the players from the 2014 and 2018 editions remain, namely Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller, but other from that, the team heading to Qatar is a vastly different one than four years ago.
Germany have not been at their best form heading into the World Cup, with just two wins so far in 2022. However, reports indicate that the country's football association is hoping to give the players an added boost ahead of their upcoming trip to Qatar.
As per one report, Germany's Football Association (the DFB) have increased the monetary bonuses available to Flick's 23 man squad.
Starting from the round of 16, each player will earn an additional €50,000 ($47,995) if the team gets out of their quartet, which also contains Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica. A quarter-finals berth will double that bonus to €100,000 ($95,974), while reaching the semis would guarantee an increase to €150,000 ($143,814).
Predictably, the bonus grows even more, depending on how die Mannschaft fare. If they finish in third place, each player earns €200,000 ($191,752), while a runners-up medal earns them €250,000 ($239,690).
And the prize for winning it all? A whopping €400,000 ($383,504) for each player, on top of their fixed appearance salary for featuring in games.
Not a bad bit of extra spending money ahead of the holidays, and certainly a huge incentive for Germany to try to make a big splash at the upcoming tournament in Qatar.
