Manuel Neuer Breaks Lothar Matthaus' Record, Becomes Germany's All-Time Leading Starter In FIFA World Cup

Published 29 June 2026 · sports

Manuel Neuer Breaks Lothar Matthaus' Record, Becomes Germany's All-Time Leading Starter In FIFA World Cup Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 01:57 IST The

Manuel Neuer Breaks Lothar Matthaus' Record, Becomes Germany's All-Time Leading Starter In FIFA World Cup Published By, Last Updated: June 30, 2026, 01:57 IST The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Paraguay is Neuer's 23rd FIFA World Cup match for Germany, and he has started in all 23 matches. Manuel Neuer breaks record of most FIFA World Cup starts for Germany. (Picture Credit: AP) 40-year-old Manuel Neuer is Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, and by featuring in the starting XI for Germany’s Round of 32 match against Paraguay at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Monday (Tuesday IST), he broke the record for the most FIFA World Cup starts for the European giants. The match against Paraguay is Neuer’s 23rd FIFA World Cup appearance for Germany, and he has started in all 23 matches. The previous record for the most FIFA World Cup starts for Germany was held by Lothar Matthäus, who started 22 of his 25 World Cup matches across five editions (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998). Miroslav Klose equalled Matthäus’ tally of 22 starts during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but Neuer has now surpassed both legends.

On the list of players with the most FIFA World Cup starts for Germany, Neuer is followed by Matthäus and Klose with 22 starts each, while Uwe Seeler and Philipp Lahm occupy the next two spots with 21 and 20 starts apiece. Manuel Neuer will become Germany’s all-time leading starter in FIFA World Cup matches against Paraguay, with this his 23rd, surpassing both Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose on 22 each. pic.twitter.com/SCABrtpfsq— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) June 29, 2026 Neuer, who is also the oldest player to represent Germany at a FIFA World Cup, holds the record for the most FIFA World Cup appearances by a goalkeeper. The Bayern Munich captain won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, but he has not kept a clean sheet in the tournament since the final against Argentina at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. Manuel Neuer in FIFA World Cup AGAINST GOALS CONCEDED VENUE DATE Australia 0 Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban June 13, 2010 Serbia 1 Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth June 18, 2010 Ghana 0 Soccer City, Johannesburg June 23, 2010 England 1 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein June 27, 2010 Argentina 0 Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town July 3, 2010 Spain 1 Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban July 7, 2010 Portugal 0 Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador June 16, 2014 Ghana 2 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza June 21, 2014 United States 0 Itaipava Arena Pernambuco, Recife June 26, 2014 Algeria 1 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre June 30, 2014 France 0 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro July 4, 2014 Brazil 1 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte July 8, 2014 Argentina 0 Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro July 13, 2014 Mexico 1 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow June 17, 2018 Sweden 1 Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi June 23, 2018 South Korea 2 Kazan Arena, Kazan June 27, 2018 Japan 2 Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan November 23, 2022 Spain 1 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor November 27, 2022 Costa Rica 2 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor December 1, 2022 Curaçao 1 NRG Stadium, Houston June 14, 2026 Ivory Coast 1 BMO Field, Toronto June 20, 2026 Ecuador 2 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford June 25, 2026 Paraguay – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough June 29, 2026 He conceded one goal in each of Germany’s first two matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Ecuador scored twice in Germany’s final group-stage match.