Germany v Japan, 23 November 2022

Kick-off: 4.00pm local (1.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Germany 11, Japan 24 . Germany had now lost a game at the World Cup finals after scoring the opening goal for the first time since their quarter-final with Bulgaria in East Rutherford in 1994 (27 games). . Germany had now lost consecutive games at the World Cup finals for the first time since their opening game of the 1982 tournament when Algeria came from behind to win 2-1 in Gijon. . Germany had now lost their opening game at a World Cup finals for a third time; also 1982 versus Algeria and 2018 versus Mexico. . Aged 19 years and 270 days, Jamal Musiala became the youngest player to play for Germany in a game at the World Cup finals since Karl-Heinz Schnellinger against Czechoslovakia in Helsingborg on 11 June 1958 (19 years and 72 days). When he subsequently came on as a late substitue, Youssoufa Moukoko became the new record holder for their youngest-ever player at a World Cup tournament (18 years and three days). . This was the first time that Japan had won a game at the World Cup finals after conceding the opening goal (played ten, lost seven) . Eight of Japan’s 26-man squad currently played their club football in Germany (19 in Europe). In their first World Cup finals in 1998, all of their 22 players played in the domestic J League. . Yūto Nagatomo became the first player to play for Japan at four World Cup finals. . This game was played on the day of a national holiday in Japan (Labour Thanksgiving Day). . A penalty had now been awarded in six of the ten games played so far in this World Cup tournament. .