Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger fears Neymar's injury could galvanise Brazil when the two sides meet in Tuesday's World Cup semi-final.
Barcelona striker Neymar injured his back in Friday's quarter-final win against Colombia.
He will miss the rest of the World Cup, and Schweinsteiger said: "Neymar's team-mates will want to win the World Cup for him.
"They'll derive strength from that."
Germany finished runners-up at the 2002 World Cup, when they lost 2-0 to Brazil in the final.
Since then they have lost at the semi-final stage in each of the last two tournaments.
They lost to eventual champions Spain in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but Schweinsteiger believes the current Germany squad is stronger than the one from four years ago.
"We're a step further now," he added.
"Not only is the national team a step further but every player has developed further with their clubs.
"The number of really good players on the team is greater now than before. That's why we're better."
