2006 Germany Home – Klose #11

Tournament Overview

Germany hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup under Jürgen Klinsmann, and this white adidas home shirt was the kit of the "Sommermärchen" (Summer Fairytale). The hosts opened with a 4–2 win over Costa Rica in Munich. They then beat Poland 1–0 in Dortmund with a stoppage-time Neuville goal and crushed Ecuador 3–0 in Berlin to win Group A with three wins from three. In the quarter-final, Argentina held Germany to 1–1 after extra time, and Germany won the shootout 4–2.

The run ended in the semi-final with a 2–0 loss to eventual champions Italy. Germany recovered to beat Portugal 3–1 in the third-place match and finished third. For collectors, this shirt is one of the defining Germany designs of the 2000s, from the tournament that rebuilt the national team's reputation on home soil.

Player's Impact – Miroslav Klose

Klose was the headline name of the tournament. He scored five goals to win the Golden Boot as top scorer. Two came against Costa Rica, two against Ecuador, and one was a crucial 80th-minute equaliser against Argentina that forced extra time. That last goal set up the penalty shootout win. He arrived in form after a 25-goal Bundesliga season with Werder Bremen, which earned him the league's top-scorer award and the 2006 German Footballer of the Year title.

Klose wore number 11 and formed a dangerous attacking partnership with the young Lukas Podolski. He went on to become the all-time World Cup top scorer with 16 goals, and 2006 was his second of four tournaments. A Klose #11 home shirt from this campaign is the one most collectors want.

Germany Squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup

Manager: Jürgen Klinsmann

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann, Oliver Kahn, Timo Hildebrand

Defenders: Robert Huth, Jens Nowotny, Christoph Metzelder, Arne Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, Marcell Jansen, Philipp Lahm

Midfielders: Sebastian Kehl, Torsten Frings, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Ballack, Tim Borowski, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Bernd Schneider

Forwards: Mike Hanke, Oliver Neuville, Miroslav Klose, David Odonkor, Lukas Podolski, Gerald Asamoah