According to a report from kicker, signs are increasing that former World Cup winner Manuel Neuer may be eyeing a sensational return to the German national team for the upcoming World Cup, despite months of denials from all parties involved.
The reports suggest that the topic of Neuer’s comeback is being discussed “far more intensely and controversially internally” than head coach Julian Nagelsmann has let on publicly. It is also stated that Neuer’s club, FC Bayern Munich, is well aware of the developments.
Nagelsmann and Neuer have consistently dismissed the possibility of a return since the goalkeeper retired after the 2024 home European Championship. In a recent statement, Nagelsmann reiterated, “Again: Manu retired voluntarily, he has repeated that many times, so it’s not really useful to keep discussing it.” Neuer himself emphasized in early April, “We don’t need to open that topic at all. I’ve said my piece and I’m focusing on FC Bayern.”
Oliver Baumann, who was named the number one goalkeeper for the World Cup by Nagelsmann after replacing the injured Marc-André ter Stegen, has also shown frustration with the recurring speculation, saying, “Everyone has had their say.”
Nagelsmann is set to announce his World Cup squad on May 21 in Frankfurt. On Monday, he had to submit an initial 55-man list to FIFA, which must include at least five goalkeepers. According to kicker, “it can be assumed that Neuer’s name is on it alongside Baumann,” Alexander Nübel, Finn Dahmen, and Neuer’s Bayern successor Jonas Urbig.
Nagelsmann will be in the stands on Saturday (3:30 PM CET, Sky) to watch Nübel in the Bundesliga finale between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart. After the match, he will be a guest on ZDF’s Aktuelles Sportstudio. Notably, it was in that same studio in December 2023 that Nagelsmann described a comeback for Toni Kroos as “an interesting thought”—and Kroos indeed returned for the 2024 European Championship a few months later.
