Two years after stepping away from international football, Manuel Neuer has been recalled to Germany's squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann unveiled his 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, on Thursday.
Since most of the surprises had already been reported by local media in the days ahead of the official announcement, the squad reveal lost some of its suspense.
Still, the biggest talking point is the unexpected return of veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who ended his international career following Euro 2024. The 40-year-old has had a strong campaign with Bayern Munich, especially in the Champions League, though he has also dealt with injuries. He recently signed a new one-year contract despite speculation that he might retire.
Nagelsmann made it clear that Neuer would be the first-choice goalkeeper.
"We told Oli [Baumann] back in March that we'd had a meeting with Manu," Nagelsmann said of the decision, acknowledging that it was a disappointment for the Hoffenheim keeper but that he remained ready to contribute to the team.
"My focus is on nominating the best three goalkeepers in the country and they are the best three," he added. "We called him and asked him if he wanted to play for Germany again, and he wanted to play at the tournament. His sporting ability was considered above all, but we also wanted to know whether he was going to keep playing or retiring," Nagelsmann said. "Everyone knows what kind of aura Manu has because of the experience he has and the titles he has won."
When questioned about his communication process, Nagelsmann was candid in his reply.
"There are always things you can look back on and say you could have done better, but I have no guarantee that it will be received much better," he said. "Football is a daily business. Please understand that not every detail of my conversations with the players can be made public. I try to explain things thoroughly and keep people informed. Sometimes I'm not as successful as I'd like to be, and sometimes I am."
The other major news was the inclusion of teenager Lennart Karl (18). Karl has impressed for Bayern this season and looked at ease during his Germany debut earlier this year. Felix Nmecha recovered from injury in time to earn a spot, with Nagelsmann stating that the midfielder has all the qualities to become one of the best in his position globally.
Amiri and Sane in, Bischof and El Mala out
Elsewhere in the squad, Nadiem Amiri, the German-born midfielder whose parents are from Afghanistan, secured a place in the final 26. Youngster Maxi Beier was selected, along with Leroy Sane, whose flashes of quality in a Germany shirt were enough to earn him a spot. "He has huge appreciation in the team and he is excellent in tight spaces," Nagelsmann said.
Nathaniel Brown was also included, with Nagelsmann noting that the right back probably does not realize just how good he is. Both Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling made the final 26, with the Germany head coach citing the latter's one-on-one abilities as a key factor in his decision.
Despite not having played for Germany since early 2025 due to injury, Jamal Musiala was named in the squad, with Nagelsmann explaining that the forward can "decide the outcome of games, even tournaments, with just a few moves."
Niclas Füllkrug, Tom Bischof, and Said El Mala missed out, as did Chris Führich and Maxi Mittelstädt.
The squad announcement had a slightly more personal touch compared to two years ago, when a creative marketing campaign showcased German culture and regions to reveal Germany's Euro 2024 squad. This time, social media videos featuring messages from friends and family, along with motivational words from Nagelsmann for 12 players in the final squad, were released in the hours before the official announcement.
Neuer news both a surprise and a major talking point
The news of Neuer's unexpected return was widely reported across Germany in the days before the squad announcement. It comes as a shock not only because Neuer had retired but also because Neuer and Nagelsmann famously had a falling out during the latter's tenure as Bayern Munich coach.
Furthermore, Nagelsmann has been vocal over the past 12 months about Oliver Baumann being Germany's No. 1, stating on multiple occasions that Germany did not have a goalkeeper problem.
While many Germany fans are unlikely to travel to North America for the tournament, the team's preparations begin at the end of this month. The squad will gather in the final week of May (with the exception of Kai Havertz, who is playing in the Champions League final with Arsenal), and the team will play a friendly against Finland in Mainz on May 31.
After that, Germany will fly to the US on June 2. There, Nagelsmann's side will play a friendly against the USA in Chicago on June 6 before their first World Cup match on June 14 against Curacao in Houston. The team's base camp will be in North Carolina.
Germany's squad in full
Goalkeepers
Manuel Neuer (40, Bayern Munich)
Oliver Baumann (35, Hoffenheim)
Alexander Nübel (29, Stuttgart)
Jonas Urbig (22, Bayern Munich)*
*training goalkeeper
Defenders
Jonathan Tah (30, Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich (c) (31, Bayern Munich)
Nico Schlotterbeck (26, Borussia Dortmund)
Antonio Rüdiger (33, Real Madrid)
David Raum (28, RB Leipzig)
Nathaniel Brown (22, Eintracht Frankfurt)
Waldemar Anton (29, Borussia Dortmund)
Malick Thiaw (24, Newcastle United)
Midfielders
Pascal Gross (34, Brighton and Hove Albion)
Leon Goretzka (31, Bayern Munich)
Aleksandar Pavlovic (22, Bayern Munich)
Felix Nmecha (25, Borussia Dortmund)
Nadiem Amiri (29, Mainz)
Angelo Stiller (25, Stuttgart)
Attackers
Kai Havertz (26, Arsenal)
Nick Woltemade (24, Newcastle United)
Deniz Undav (29, Stuttgart)
Jamal Musiala (23, Bayern Munich)
Florian Wirtz (23, Liverpool)
Lennart Karl (18, Bayern Munich)
Jamie Leweling (25, Stuttgart)
Leroy Sané (30, Galatasaray)
Maximilian Beier (23, Borussia Dortmund)
Edited by: Matt Pearson