Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has named Manuel Neuer in his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, confirming the 40-year-old Bayern Munich goalkeeper as his first-choice starter despite having retired from international football after Euro 2024. The announcement, made at the DFB's headquarters in Frankfurt, ends months of speculation over who would guard the German goal this summer, when the tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Neuer, who has earned 124 caps for the national team and was part of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign — which included a historic 7–1 semi-final victory over host nation Brazil and a 1–0 extra-time final win against Argentina — will now lead a squad that also features established talents such as Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich, Kai Havertz, Leroy Sané of Galatasaray Istanbul, and Florian Wirtz of Liverpool. The decision effectively sidelines Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who had long been led to believe he would be Germany's number one. Nagelsmann acknowledged the difficulty of the call, saying Neuer simply possesses "an aura" and pointing to his extraordinary trophy record, while describing Baumann as "a world-class second choice."
The selection process drew its own scrutiny. Nagelsmann made a point of personally calling both selected players and those who narrowly missed out — a practice praised as reflecting a modern leadership culture — but the extensive personal conversations meant numerous decisions leaked to the public well before the official announcement, drawing criticism of the federation's communications management.
A separate controversy also emerged on squad announcement day: Musiala was revealed to have been involved in a motorway accident last year in which he was driving at 194 km/h in a 120 km/h zone. Two occupants of another vehicle sustained minor injuries. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has since had his driving licence suspended and received a financial penalty.
At the World Cup itself, Germany — four-time world champions and one of the tournament's most decorated nations, making their 21st appearance — have been drawn into Group E alongside Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador, with their opening match against Curaçao scheduled for 14 June. The stakes are significant: Germany were eliminated in the group stage at both the 2018 and 2022 editions, making a strong start to this tournament a matter of national footballing urgency.