Manuel Neuer: The aura of a record-breaking goalkeeper
There are few records left for Manuel Neuer to break in his career, but his surprise return to the Germany team for the 2026 World
There are few records left for Manuel Neuer to break in his career, but his surprise return to the Germany team for the 2026 World Cup has seen him reach new milestones. By playing in goal during Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao, Neuer has now played at five World Cups, equaling Lothar Matthäus's German record. His appearance also made him the oldest ever German international, aged 40 years and 78 days, breaking a record previously held Matthäus (39 years and 91 days). The game was also his 20th World Cup appearance, drawing him level with former French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as the goalkeeper with the most tournament appearances. "Either you love football or you don't and that's why it's really special for me to start this tournament together with the team," Neuer said afterwards. "I really wanted to be the man between the posts. It felt good to be on the pitch with the team." Neuer was rarely called into action against Curacao, but the goal he conceded did leave him frustrated. "If it hadn't been deflected, I would have saved him. I would have liked to have kept it out," the keeper said afterwards. Back from retirement The 2014 World Cup winner is two years older than head coach Julian Nagelsmann, but Germany's head coach had no doubts about his asking the legendary keeper if he wanted to come out of retirement.
"He doesn't need time to settle in at his age. He knows how to handle high-pressure situations," Nagelsmann said regarding the decision. The 38-year-old also received support from German Football Association (DFB) Sporting Director Rudi Völler. "He knows most of the players from Bayern Munich, too. He’s been around for so long; nothing rattles him," the 66-year-old noted. All eyes on Neuer Discussions surrounding the "world's best goalkeeper" and his the health of his calf dominated the headlines in the days leading up to Germany's World Cup opener. For a long time, it was unclear whether the keeper would be fit in time, given the injury Neuer suffered late in the recently finished Bundesliga season. He arrived at the tournament having not played in Germany's final two warm-up matches against Finlandand the USA. Oliver Baumann served as the number one during the World Cup qualifiers and delivered strong performances. The Hoffenheim goalkeeper looked to be Germany's number one, but things turned out differently when Neuer returned. "It was tough at first, of course. It didn't feel great, to be honest," Baumann admitted after the final World Cup warm-up match against the USA. "But I knew right away that I would be there for the team and make the trip." Oliver Baumann suffered a tough mental blow as he went from number one to back-up Image: Markus Gilliar/GES/picture alliance A keeper with an aura Neuer's return does carry a risk though.
The BriefWire