The Germany national football team is preparing for the 2026 World Cup.

What happened?

Olaf Thon, former national player, has forgiven Ronald Koeman. Koeman had exchanged his jersey with Thon's after the 1988 Euro semifinal and then used it to symbolically wipe his backside in front of the Oranje fans.

Why is this important?

This incident was a highlight of the German-Dutch rivalry. The atmosphere between the two countries was always very tense, especially after the 1974 World Cup final.

What's next?

The Germany national football team plays its next game on June 25, 2026, against Ecuador. | Date | Opponent | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-20 | Ivory Coast | 2:1 |

The German national team hopes for a good start to the 2026 World Cup. Olaf Thon is an advocate for video evidence and thinks it's important to make fair decisions.