German record keeper
©IMAGO
According to a report in the newspaper « Bild », Manuel Neuer (38) wants to continue his career in the national team. Unlike Toni Kroos (34), Thomas Müller (34) and former captain Ilkay Gündoğan (33), Germany’s record goalkeeper with 124 appearances has decided not to end his career in the DFB outfit after the elimination in the quarter-finals of the European Championship at home. There is no confirmation of this yet.
The long-time DFB captain initially left the decision about his future in the DFB team open after the 1:2 after extra time against Spain in Stuttgart on July 5. « I said I would think about it after the tournament, » he said. Now, after eight major tournaments as number one, the 2014 world champion would like to tackle the 2026 World Cup. At the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, he would be 40 years old. After the resignations of Kroos and Müller, Neuer is the last Rio world champion in the DFB selection.
Whether there will be more international matches in addition to the 124 so far also depends on national coach Julian Nagelsmann. The 37-year-old had already announced at the European Championship on home soil that he wanted to rejuvenate the DFB squad for the 2026 World Cup. As the newspaper reports, Neuer will miss the international matches against Hungary on September 7 in Düsseldorf and three days later in Amsterdam against their great rivals the Netherlands, but he wants to be back towards the end of the year.
Neuer: Competition with ter Stegen for a regular place
After his serious skiing accident with a broken leg after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Nagelsmann has once again declared the multiple world goalkeeper after his hard-fought return for the European Championships on home soil. Now the duel with the eternal deputy Marc-André ter Stegen continues.
Neuer’s contract with FC Bayern runs until June 30, 2025. While Kroos completely ended his career after the European Championships, Müller, like Neuer, continues to play for Munich after his resignation from the DFB. Barcelona professional Gündoğan announced his retirement from the national team on Monday, which now raises the question of who will be the new DFB captain. Neuer held this position until his serious injury and subsequent long absence.