It has been a transformative 2024 for Germany. Their trip to Hungary, in their final international of the year, ended with a 1-1 draw in Budapest but the overall progress has been pronounced. Felix Nmecha had given the Germans the lead before Dominik Szoboszlai ’s 98th minute penalty snatched a point — it was not enough to prevent Julian Nagelsmann’s side from topping a Nations League group that they dominated.
Advertisement The Germans remained unbeaten. They scored 18 goals in six games against the Hungarians, Bosnia, and the Netherlands . Appointed in September 2023, Nagelsmann inherited a side at its lowest ebb in a generation, but has positioned them as one of the favourites for the 2026 World Cup.
Off the pitch, this team have also re-engaged a disinterested public with their national team. Germans are watching Germany again. Germans are interested in Germany again.
In January, the broadcaster RTL will release a documentary about the 2024 European Championship. “Unser Team — Die Heim-EM 2024” (Our Team — the home European Championship 2024) sounds like a strangely saccharine recollection of a tournament that ended in a quarter-final defeat to Spain. Germany are four-time World Cup winners and three-time European champions and, under normal circumstances, such an early elimination would be followed by a root-and-brand review.
But times have changed and the documentary will be received well. Euro 2024 was Germany’s best tournament performance since 2016 an.
