Germany face questions that cut to heart of identity before Costa Rica tie

Only four years – but 117 caps – separate the vastly experienced Thomas Müller (left) and Niclas Füllkrug of Germany Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Very few Germans seemed to take much pleasure from their 2-1 defeat against Japan in the opening game of the World Cup. One notable example, however, appeared to be the country’s far-right AFD party, for whom the surprise result – coupled with the decision to make a protest in support of LGBTQ+ rights before the game – offered irrefutable proof of the team’s confused priorities.

“If you care more about woke armbands than about football, you lose 1:2 against Japan,” tweeted Martin Reichardt, the party’s family policy spokesperson. “Defeat is symbolic of the decline of Germany, where ideology takes precedence over everything!”