Manuel Neuer will play for Germany at a fifth World Cup this summer, at the age of 40. In the first instalment of a series on players to watch at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, RFI looks at the World Cup career of a goalkeeper who came out of international retirement.
Neuer said auf Wiedersehen to Die Mannschaft, as the German national team is nicknamed, after the European Championship in 2024.
"Anyone who knows me knows that I didn't take this decision lightly," Neuer said, following Germany's elimination in the quarter-finals.
"I feel very well physically and, of course, the 2026 World Cup would also have appealed to me. And yet I came to the decision that now is exactly the right time to end my chapter with the national team."
But Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann, Neuer's boss at Bayern Munich between 2021 and 2023, has persuaded him to return.
"Everyone knows the aura and quality Manu [Neuer] has, what he brings to a team," said Nagelsmann, unveiling his 26-man squad.
"We're planning with him as our number one. He has an impact on his own team, on the opposition, and can create special moments."
Neuer's return sidelines Oliver Baumann, who had been groomed to replace him. The 35-year-old served as Germany's goalkeeper throughout the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, playing in every game as Germany finished top of Group A.
A clean sheet
Neuer's first World Cup came in 2010. The 24-year-old was at Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and formed part of a Germany squad captained by Philipp Lahm and featuring Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller.
He kept a clean sheet in his first game as Germany beat Australia 4-0 in Durban. Joachim Löw's side went through to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Spain.
Four years later in Brazil, Neuer, by then established at Bayern Munich, was again part of the squad as Germany became the first European team to win the World Cup in the Americas.
On the way to the title, the German rearguard conceded four goals across seven matches, two of them in a 2-2 draw with Ghana in the second game of the group stage. Along with his winner's medal, Neuer was awarded the Golden Glove as the tournament's best goalkeeper.
Group stage exits
In 2018, Germany, with Neuer as captain, were eliminated after the group stage. It was the first time such a fate had befallen the side in any of their World Cup appearances since 1954.
Löw left in June 2021 and was replaced by his assistant Hansi Flick. But the change of coach failed to improve their fortunes at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Germany scored six and conceded five goals in three group-stage games, finishing third behind Japan and Spain.
"The pain and disappointment run deep," Neuer posted on social media. "It is brutally frustrating that we could not consistently deliver our performance. It will take some time to come to terms with all this."
World Cup return
His return for the 2026 World Cup will give Manuel Peter Neuer the chance to set records nearly two decades after making his first international appearance against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.
If he takes to the field for Germany's opening game on 14 June at the NRG Stadium in Houston against Curaçao, Neuer will play his 20th match in goal at a World Cup, equalling the record of retired France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Germany continue their Group E campaign six days later against Côte d'Ivoire in Toronto, before finishing the group stage on 25 June against Ecuador at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
With the 48-team tournament introducing a new last-32 knockout round, through which the eight best third-placed sides advance alongside the top two from each of the 12 groups, Germany have a better chance of progressing beyond the group stage than in recent tournaments.
And if he does reach his 20th World Cup appearance, Neuer will equal a record that few goalkeepers in the history of the game have managed.
