The German football association, Deutscher Fußball-Bund, is the governing body of football activities in Germany. Founded in 1900 in Leipzig, Deutscher Fußball-Bund has grown into the largest football federation in the world in terms of membership. The German FA is responsible for overseeing all amateur and professional clubs as well as ensuring player development from grassroots to professional level. They are also responsible for organizing all the major competitions in Germany, including the DFB-Pokal, or the German Cup. Headed by Bernd Neuendorf, Deutscher Fußball-Bund is responsible for managing the 3. Liga and other lower divisions. The German FA is also the body that manages both the men's and women's national teams. It can be said without any doubt that the Deutscher Fußball-Bund is the main foundation pillar of Germany's football culture and success.
The Germany national football team history began on 5 April 1908, when they played their first ever match against Switzerland, a match which they lost 5-3. The following decades saw the rise of new underdogs in world football, with the side managing to secure a third-place finish in the 1934 FIFA World Cup. However, World War II put a stop to this progress, a period during which the national team was suspended from 1942 to 1950. Following the war, a new ‘West Germany’ team was formed. The team announced their return to the footballing world by winning the 1954 World Cup, led by captain Fritz Walter, defeating the tournament favourites, Hungary. The 1970s are considered to be the golden age of German football, an era where the team managed to win the 1972 and 1980 UEFA European Championships and the 1974 FIFA World Cup, led by players like Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller. After reaching two consecutive World Cup Finals in 1982 and 1986, a new unified Germany team was formed. The new German team managed to win the 1990 FIFA World Cup, led by their captain, Lothar Matthäus, which was then followed by the 1996 UEFA European Championship. However, by the end of the century, the team's performances deteriorated, leading to the complete overhaul of the German youth system. This bold move paid off, with the team winning their fourth World Cup in 2014, under their manager Joachim Löw, led by world-class German youth players like Manuel Neuer and Mario Götze.