The Real Madrid schemer knows exactly what is needed to succeed in football’s biggest competitions after winning three Champions Leagues, four German and Spanish league titles and the 2014 World Cup. And as he prepares to launch his country’s defence of their crown against Mexico on Sunday, he says there are four basic qualities that make the Germans stand out from the crowd.
Speaking ahead of their Group F opener in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Kroos declared: “Commitment, sacrifice, self-motivation and willpower — those are the key requirements of this Germany team. “Everyone here is an elite player and the self-confidence we all have comes from having won something major before we go into a tournament.