40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer officially confirmed he will retire from international football with the German national team after his journey at the 2026 World Cup concludes.
Manuel Neuer has just officially affirmed he will retire from international football with the German national team after the 2026 World Cup campaign concludes. The 40-year-old goalkeeper only decided to return to serve the team solely for this tournament.
Previously, the 2014 World Cup champion announced he was hanging up his gloves following the defeat in the EURO 2024 quarter-finals on home soil. However, his impressive form in a Bayern Munich shirt helped him get unexpectedly called back up by coach Julian Nagelsmann. Speaking about this return, Neuer shared:
“I stepped back in 2024 for a good reason, after a good EURO on home soil. For me, that was the right decision. It felt really right. Continuing to play for the national team over the past two years was too big of a sporting burden for me.”
“For me, it is clear this is the last tournament. I have no intention of participating in the EURO two years from now. In recent days, I have faced the reality that these are the final matches for the German national team. But I want to look forward to all the matches, not farewell shirts.”
Neuer started in the resounding 7-1 victory over Curacao in Group E. In the next match, the German team will face Ivory Coast with the goal of securing an early ticket to advance, thereby erasing the sad memories of being eliminated in the group stage in the previous two World Cups. He emphasized: “This is our goal. We hold everything in our own hands. We do not want to look back at previous World Cups. The team does not care about that. We are looking forward to the next step, which is Ivory Coast.”
Although considering his participation in the tournament a great privilege, the 40-year-old shot-stopper still yearns to conquer the prestigious golden trophy with the team before officially closing his glorious journey.
