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Defending world champions Germany suffered a shock defeat to Mexico in their opening group game in Russia. Now they face a must-win tussle against Sweden on Saturday, but is there even more importance riding on the shoulders of the National 11 than simply defending their title?

As political tensions bubble for Chancellor Angela Merkel back home over immigration issues and violent crime, Sudha David-Wilp from the German Marshall Fund to the US has identified a unique correlation between the fate of the German national side, and its government’s future…

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