There are certainly better times of the year to visit Budapest than late November, particularly when a cloudy sky and incessant cold breeze covers the city. But the bad weather did not deter Germany fans.
“When the national team is playing in a beautiful city like Budapest, it’s like killing two birds with one stone,” Luca, a Germany supporter who traveled 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Freiburg in southern Germany to Hungary’s capital, told DW. And the 21-year-old was not the only one. Close to 1,000 Germany supporters made the trip to Budapest for Germany’s last match of 2024, a 1-1 tie.
While their support could not match the 50,000-strong home crowd at the packed Puskas Arena, the presence of that many traveling Germany fans is evidence that the swell of support seen at the home Euros this summer was a sign of things to come. Even in the face of a match that on paper was little more than a mere formality, many still made the trip with their team.
After the 2018 World Cup, the Germany national team struggled to captivate their own supporters on and off the field. Now, it appears things have finally turned around.
Priceless emotion
“In my opinion, a game like this produces emotions that you take back home with you. These emotions are just priceless,” said Luca, who also is a Schalke fan and regularly travels across Germany to watch club football.
Some Germany supporters didn’t have to travel far to watch the game.
“All of us are studying here in Budapest,” said Viktoria from Düsseldorf and Elena from Koblenz, who took advantage of the game as an outing along with other international students.
“Most of us here are part of an Erasmus program. One of my friend’s dad came from Germany to visit but he’s also here for the game,” Viktoria added.
Rekindled passion
Almost exactly 365 days since head coach Julian Nagelsmann suffered defeat in his first two games, opinions regarding the Germany boss couldn’t be more different.
“Nagelsmann is doing a great job as a coach. He’s brought new, young players that have delivered good performances,” said Jonas, a fan who traveled to Budapest from Bavaria together with his friend Benjamin.
“I’d say that after the pandemic and more recently with the Euros, there’s a new momentum. The guys play awesome football and it’s a joy to watch them,” added the 26-year-old.
“We were World Cup winners in 2014. Other teams that have won the tournament have also crashed out during the group stage of their next World Cup. So, I think it’s normal for players to let go a bit after reaching the top,” said Benjamin.
Germany finished the year having lost only once — notably to Spain in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals. It’s clear that, after a shaky start, Nagelsmann and his new generation of players are delivering.
“The Euros were extremely promising. The way we lost against Spain was a bitter pill to swallow. But had we won that game, I’m convinced we would have gone all the way and lifted the trophy. That’s why I think we’ll have good chances at the upcoming World Cup,” said Benjamin.
After a year of strong performances, Germany fans have had their faith restored. Soon, they will find out where their next away trips will be when the draw for World Cup qualifying is made on December 13. And if Budapest is anything to go by, the number of Germany fans supporting the team away from home only looks to be increasing.
Edited by: Jonathan Harding
