Germany agree €400,000 bonus for lifting the World Cup

Stars make deal on eve of Nations League clash with England at Wembley Stadium

Hungary celebrate their 1-0 win at the end of the Nations League match against Germany in Leipzig, eastern Germany on September 23, 2022. AFP

Hungary players celebrate at the final whistle. EPA

Hungary forward Andras Schaefer falls over Germany midfielder Jamal Musiala. AFP

Hungary's Adam Szalai celebrates after scoring the only goal. EPA

Hungary's Italian coach Marco Rossi watches the action. AFP

Hungary's Milos Kerkez, right, challenges for the ball with Germany's Thomas Muller. AP

German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Getty

Thomas Muller competes with Milos Kerkez. EPA

Germany's Antonio Ruediger with Daniel Gazdag of Hungary. EPA

Germany players will each receive €400,000 ($390,000) if they lift the World Cup, the country's football association announced on Sunday after thrashing out an agreement with the squad.

The reward for winning in Qatar is up from the €350,000 offered for the last tournament in Russia four years ago, when they crashed out in the first round, and the €300,000 they were each handed after winning in Brazil in 2014.

Clearing the group stage in Qatar will earn each player €50,000, while a spot in the last eight will net them €100,000 each.

Germany, desperate to make amends for their dismal 2018 performance, have been drawn in Group E along with Spain, Costa Rica and Japan.

A semi-final spot is worth €150,000 each, while winning third-place would earn €200,000 each. Losing in the final would be rewarded with €250,000.

“We had intense discussions in a good and constructive atmosphere,” said FA president Bernd Neuendorf following a meeting with team representatives Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Guendogan.

“At the end of the day we have found an acceptable solution for everyone.”

The Germans will be relieved to get the agreement before their Nations League clash with England on Monday.

The team can no longer reach the final four tournament following their defeat at home to Hungary.

That loss brought an end to Hansi Flick’s unbeaten run as coach since taking over from Joachim Low in July last year, and also shone a harsh light on his record so far.

Germany defeated Italy 5-2 in their previous match in June, but it was the team’s only win in the last six games during which they failed to keep a clean sheet in any of them.

Adding to Germany’s worry is the sense that Bayern Munich’s loss of form in the Bundesliga has spread to the national team, where the likes of Muller and Serge Gnabry in particular failed to spark against Hungary.

Germany sports director Oliver Bierhoff insists the aim is still to win the tournament. “The goal stays,” Bierhoff said. “OK, after this game, what can you say? But we start the [World Cup] tournament at zero.”

Bierhoff sees Monday's game as a chance of redemption, an opportunity to forget the loss to Hungary and atone for the defeat to England on Germany's previous visit to Wembley – a 2-0 loss in the round of 16 of the European Championship.

“We want to make amends, to find our game and gain confidence,” Bierhoff said. “We have to believe more in ourselves. And a game like that against Hungary doesn’t help. We have to make sure that we stand up to the English and implement the things that the coach demands.”

Flick was keen this weekend to take the pressure off his players, saying he was also at fault for not finding the right set-up for Hungary. He’ll have to make changes in London with Antonio Rudiger suspended.

Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is likely to come in for the Real Madrid defender in one of several changes at the back. Thilo Kehrer and Robin Gosens could also replace Jonas Hofmann and David Raum.