The German team just ended their final match of 2024 with a 1-1 draw away to Hungary in the UEFA Nations League. The "Tank" finished Group A3 with an unbeaten record, scoring 18 goals and winning 4 matches.
This weekend, at the Nations League knockout draw, Julian Nagelsmann and his team will know who their opponents are among the teams Italy, Croatia and Denmark. If they get through this round, Germany will advance to the Nations League semi-finals in June 2025.
Back in September 2023, when Julian Nagelsmann took over from Thomas Tuchel, the German national team was a mess at the time and had a pretty poor record. However, in just 14 months, they have become a candidate for the championship at EURO 2024 and the 2024-2025 Nations League. Die Mannschaft have only lost to EURO 2024 champions Spain in the quarter-finals in a match of balance from start to finish.
With their current form, the white team deserves to be one of the top candidates for the 2026 World Cup. After 12 years, now is the time for the mighty Germany to return to conquer the world championship title once again. Success in terms of playing style on the pitch is just one of the positive things Nagelsmann has brought to the German team. The fans no longer turning their backs on the team is the best thing. Germany's matches now attract a large audience, whether as a friendly or "half-friendly" like the Nations League.
Another proof that the appeal of the German team is returning is the fan effect after the documentary Unser Team Die Heim-EM 2024 about the teams journey after EURO 2024 at home. Germany is a team that has won the World Cup 4 times and EURO 3 times, but the film about a final round that stopped in the quarter-finals is still widely welcomed by the public. That shows that the recent defeat to the mighty Spain is not a tragedy, it is just a normal win - loss in football.
Nagelsmann's enthusiasm and openness are one of the keys to Germany's success. This young strategist is not conservative with a certain group of players or a fixed playing style. Nagelsmann has constantly changed his approach to each match and opened the door to welcome talents to the national team. The case of Tim Kleindienst (Gladbach) is proof. The striker scored his first two goals in his international career against Bosnia & Herzegovina. There will be many other young talents who are expected to shine in the coming time.
The current German team is still a team but has gradually escaped its cold and mistaken look. They are powerful and ready to destroy all obstacles with a dedicated, sublime and modern playing style. In the coming time, if the wings of Florian Wirtz - Jamal Musiala continue to fly high, the journey at the 2026 World Cup is predicted to be very favorable.
German fans are currently enjoying the beautiful football of Nagelsmann and his students. They will be more strict at the 2026 World Cup in terms of achievements. From now until the summer of 2026, there is still a lot of time for Nagelsmann to prepare and successfully mark a young, talented and fresh generation of German football.
