Kimmich issues Germany group warning
Joshua Kimmich has warned Germany not to expect a comfortable passage through its World Cup group.
Germany will face Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E, with it opening game coming against Dick Advocaat's tournament debutants in Houston.
But recent tournament results might cause Julian Nagelsmann's squad to be wary, as Germany has been eliminated from the group stage at their last two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022.
Since last missing the tournament in 1950, those are the only instances where Germany failed to get past the first round, in 18 attempts.
Captain Kimmich says they should not expect to ease into the knockout stages, saying: "We're not so much focused on the tournament now, we're focused on every game. I hope we'll have a very good start.
"Past tournaments have shown us that will be very important, and we don't have such an easy group as it is sometimes perceived from the outside.
"I believe the group will be complicated and difficult, and we really need to be in top form.
"Everyone here wants to become a world champion, but that doesn't help us on the way there, if we just want it. Instead, we have to do things now to win games, that's where we should start."
Germany will be based at Wake Forest University in North Carolina for the tournament, having beaten United States 2-1 in a friendly in Chicago last weekend.
Kimmich outlined the importance of Germany being settled at their camp as he said: "We felt at home in Qatar actually, and we went out after the group stage.
"But of course, it's very important that you feel comfortable there, that you're happy to return there, and you feel you could last there for a long time, because in the best case, we'll be here for several weeks.
"The conditions have to be good, we have to have everything we need there, and we'll feel comfortable."
After the meeting with Curacao in Houston, Germany face Ivory Coast in Toronto on 20 June and Ecuador in New Jersey on 25 June.
