Manuel Neuer set for Germany World Cup return, two years after international retirement

Neuer played 124 times for Germany between 2009 and 2024 Ronny HARTMANN / AFP via Getty Images Share article2Manuel Neuer is on the verge of returning to the Germany squad ahead of the World Cup, two years after retiring from international duty. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper, who turned 40 in March, retired from international duty following the 2024 European Championship, but is set to be included in Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament, due to be announced on Thursday. If selected, Neuer would be appearing at his fifth World Cup, having first played in South Africa in 2010, winning the tournament in 2014 in Brazil, and being part of the squads that suffered group stage exits in 2018 and 2022. Neuer has made 124 appearances for Germany and is the most capped goalkeeper in the country’s history. Should he play at this summer’s tournament, he would become the oldest player to represent the country, claiming a record that has been held by Lothar Matthaus — who played, aged 39, at the European Championship in 2000 — for 26 years. In February, Neuer ruled out the possibility of coming out of retirement to play for Germany. Neuer won the 2014 World Cup with his nation, one of eight major tournaments he featured in for Germany, and kept a clean sheet in the final victory over Argentina. The goalkeeper has won 34 major honours throughout his career, including the World Cup with Germany alongside two Champions League trophies with Bayern, in 2013 and 2020. The goalkeeper has had a good season for Bayern, where he signed a one-year contract extension and won this season’s Bundesliga and reached a Champions League semi-final. Proven goalkeeping team with Jonas Urbig: Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich extend their contracts until 2027. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/brxQVDDjL4 — FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) May 15, 2026 While there was public and media support for his international comeback, Neuer and Nagelsmann have consistently denied that it would happen. Instead, they have offered their public support to Oliver Baumann, the Hoffenheim goalkeeper who established himself as Germany No 1 since Neuer’s retirement. Baumann now seems set to go to the World Cup back-up while, with Nagelsmann likely to only two three goalkeepers, either Stuttgart’s Alexander Nubel or Bayern’s Jonas Urbig will drop out of the squad. Germany begin the tournament against Curacao in Houston, in the first game of a group that also contains Ivory Coast and Ecuador. This is a bold decision freighted with potential disruption. Neuer is the best goalkeeper available to Germany and so, from that perspective, his inclusion is easy to rationalise. He is a former World Cup winner and, even in his career’s twilight, commands tremendous respect in a dressing room which has not been the strongest at recent tournaments. But it’s not that simple, because this situation has not been handled well at all. Speculation that Neuer would reverse his international retirement has been persistent in the German media since 2025. Plenty of former players have spoken out on television, too, encouraging the Bayern goalkeeper to make himself available. In the spring, Neuer even went as far as to wish Oliver Baumann and the squad well for the World Cup, giving no indication at all that he was considering a change of heart. The suddenness of this U-turn comes with consequences, not least for Baumann, who won the battle to be Germany’s No 1 following Neuer’s original retirement after the 2024 European Championship. It’s been a feel-good story of sorts. Baumann, now 35, is a Bundesliga veteran who did not make his Germany debut until 2024 and was never really seen as an international prospect. But by virtue of Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s appalling injury luck and Alexander Nubel’s wavering form, Baumann got his chance, emerging as a solid rather than spectacular option, doing nothing to warrant losing his place. On Thursday morning, in a poll run by German media outlet Bild, 59 per cent of 160,700 respondents said that they would prefer Baumann to keep his place. Neuer’s inclusion means that he surely will now and that will be a bitter pill. He was weeks away from starting at a World Cup and reaching the apex of his career, only for it to be snatched away. Baumann is a professional. He’s not a sulker and neither will he air any frustration publicly, but Nagelsmann will have to manage his disappointment very carefully — not least because he still might need him. Neuer’s form this season has been good, but he has had a succession of muscle injuries over the past few seasons and has become increasingly brittle. What price another problem during the World Cup, when training sessions and matches come in quick succession and even goalkeepers struggle with recovery. From that perspective, this is a huge risk to take. The reaction in Germany has been critical. Nagelsmann’s stock has fallen over the last 18 months, with the sporting public frustrated by performances and conservative squad selections. He is accused of placing too much faith in reputation and not enough in emerging talent. This controversy will hardly quieten those voices or assuage those who believe his man-management and communication can be questionable. Ultimately, the quality of this decision will be judged by what happens at the tournament. If Germany perform poorly, Neuer’s inclusion will become complicit in Germany’s failure, whether relevant to it or not. If they exceed expectations — a semi-final or better — then Nagelsmann will be lauded for tempting the goalkeeper back and making a brave call. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms