 Although Erhard did not play in the 1954 World Cup, coach Sepp Herberger toyed with the idea of changing his defense by adding Erhardt as the left back in the final game against Hungary instead of Werner Kohlmeyer, but eventually decided to keep the same lineup as in the semifinal against Austria.Sepp Herberger proved his tactical acumen by moving Erhardt to central defense in early-1958.In this new stopper role, Erhard proved to be a stand-out for Germany during the 1958 FIFA World Cup and he remained Germany's standard stopper until his retirement from international play in September 1962.