Pride Goeth...

With Jens Lehmann wearing the goalkeeper's gloves, Germany finished third in the global competition after being knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual champions Italy.

But 37-year-old Kahn believes that logically he should have been first-choice keeper.

"I'm not criticizing what Jens Lehmann did, but with me Germany would have been world champions," Kahn, 37, told the weekly newsmagazine Stern.

"I'm convinced of it because the way my career has evolved points in that direction," said Kahn, who retired from the national side after sealing the bronze medal with a 3-1 win over Portugal.

"In 1994 with Karlsruhe I reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup - two years later I won this trophy with Bayern Munich," he explained.

"In 1999, I lost the Champions League final in the harshest circumstances (losing 2-1 to Manchester United in stoppage time) before winning this competition two years later."

"Finally I lost the 2002 World Cup final (against Brazil).

"This logic, and I really believe in the law of series, should have continued at the 2006 World Cup," said Kahn.

Klinsi didn't believe in Kahn's theory

Kahn, who is under contract with Bayern Munich until 2008, said that he had tried to explain his theory to World Cup coach Jürgen Klinsmann before the competition but "he didn't understand or didn't want to understand".

"I told him 'I don't understand why you won't admit that I'm right'," he added.

Germany previously won the World Cup in 1954, 1974 and 1990.