Longtime goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is set to feature in Germany’s opening game of this year’s World Cup. He had stepped away from the national team in August 2024.
Manuel Neuer will be in goal for Germany’s first 2026 World Cup match against Curacao on Sunday, coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed on Saturday.
“All the players are fit and Manu will start,” Nagelsmann stated during his pre-match press conference.
Neuer brought out of international retirement
The game in Houston, Texas, marks the 40-year-old goalkeeper’s first outing for Germany in nearly two years.
He has been brought back from international retirement after helping Bayern Munich secure the Bundesliga title and reach the Champions League semi-finals this season.
A calf injury kept Neuer out of recent warm-up friendlies against Finland and the US, both of which Germany won.
Germany aiming for ‘perfect performance’ against Curacao
Nagelsmann said Germany would aim for excellence in the match against Curacao, which is competing in its first World Cup.
The Curacao players “are all well-prepared and can enter the tournament without any pressure. That always makes an opponent dangerous,” Nagelsmann noted.
“You never win a match just because you’re the favorite. We will only win if we deliver a perfect performance,” he added.
Follow our Germany live updates for more.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
Your feedback