National soccer team: “Many changes”: Nagelsmann will rotate a lot against Hungary

National coach Julian Nagelsmann wants to change his team in a number of positions for the final group game in the Nations League against Hungary. “As of today there will be a lot of changes,” said Nagelsmann on Monday afternoon. The final decision will be made on Tuesday before the game in the evening (8.45 p.m./ZDF) in Budapest. “It could be that we change nine times, ten times,” said Nagelsmann, depending on who is fit.

The DFB team won the group with a 7-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday. Even for the hosts, who are third in the group, the game no longer has any impact on the table. The constellation in the group does not result in any “extrinsic motivation,” said Nagelsmann. “We draw our motivation from the fact that we want to develop.”

Nübel and Schlotterbeck play – and Kimmich?

What is certain is that goalkeeper Alexander Nübel will replace Oliver Baumann in the German goal. Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund plays in central defense, Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah is missing due to suspension.

Nagelsmann said of Munich’s Leroy Sané, who came on after just under an hour on Saturday and scored in the 66th minute: “I assume that he will use the longer playing time, just as he used the shorter one.” Nagelsmann left it open whether captain Joshua Kimmich would play again after his ankle injury. The Bayern professional’s ankle is doing “very well,” said the national coach.

Nagelsmann emphasized the importance of every single game towards the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. “To be honest, we don’t have a long time horizon to leave much behind,” said Nagelsmann. “We always want to win 100 percent, out of simple self-interest to get better.”