The 2014 World Championship marks the fourth time that the unified German team have qualified for the tournament. Germany have finished in the top 10 on each of their previous attempts, with their eighth-place in Italy four years ago trumping the ninth spot they managed in both 1994 and 2006. Prior to their 1994 qualification, the tournament saw multiple entries by East Germany and West Germany, with both nations first qualifying for the World Championships in 1956. The best finish by either of them came in Bulgaria in 1970, when East Germany won the tournament. East Germany finished in fourth place either side of that competition, at Czechoslovakia 1966 and Mexico 1974.

Germany have improved in recent years, and must now be seen as outside medal contenders under Vital Heynen. The nation finished fifth at the London 2012 Olympic Games and repeated the feat in the World League the same year. That World League finish marked the first time Germany had reached the final round, but they failed to live up to that standard this year as they finished third in Pool D of Group 2 and 16th overall.

The Germans finished sixth in the 2013 European Championship before emerging from a group containing Croatia, Estonia and Turkey to qualify for Poland 2014.