Nickname: Die Honamas

Previous FIH Hockey Pro League placements: 2019: 6th. 2020-21: 3rd, 2021-22: 4th. 2022-23: 6th

Notable honours: 4x Olympic gold medallists (1972, 1992, 2008, 2012), 3x FIH Men’s World Cup winners (2002, 2006, 2023), 9x Champions Trophy winners (1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2014), 8x European champions (1970, 1978, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2013)

With four Olympic gold medals, three World Cup wins and eight European titles, Germany have an enviable history in international hockey. Tactically astute and technically superb, Die Honamas have a habit of hitting form ahead of Olympic Games and World Cups, a fact proven by their sensational triumph at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. Their performances in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela were hugely impressive, emerging unbeaten from a pool containing 2018 world champions Belgium as well as Japan and Korea before producing a string of brilliant performances in the knock-out stages. Their semi-final clash against Oceania giants Australia will live long in the memory, as penalty corner weapon Gonzalo Peillat and rapid attacker Niklas Wellen scored twice in the final 90 seconds give Germany a stunning 4-3 triumph. Wellen and Peillat – the man who fired Argentina to Olympic gold at Rio 2016 – were again on target in the gold medal match against Belgium, as the two European giants played out a wonderful 3-3 draw before Germany snatched their third World Cup crown in a drama-filled shoot-out. Wellen and Peillat are far from being the only superstars in the Germany squad, with brilliant attacker Christopher Rühr, captain Mats Grambusch and goalkeeper Alexander Stadler – who was nominated for Best Goalkeeper prize in the FIH Hockey Stars Awards for 2022 – just a handful of the world class players they have at their disposal.

This season, Germany will take to the field for FIH Hockey Pro League ‘mini-tournaments’ in Buenos Aires (ARG), London (ENG), Utrecht (NED) and Amsterdam (NED).

One to watch: Niklas Wellen. A striker blessed with frightening pace and a clinical eye for goal, Niklas Wellen played a starring role in Germany’s glorious title success at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, netting seven times in Bhubaneswar to be named Odisha Best Player. Shortlisted for the FIH Hockey Stars Player of the Year award in 2022, Wellen has scored 105 goals in 190 international appearances for his country.