There has been some suggestion brewing that Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer could make a U-turn on his retirement from the German national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The long-term injury to Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen has meant that a combination of Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann and VfB Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel have been used, if not at the very least called up to the squads for various international breaks for friendlies and qualifiers.
There have been different voices in and around German football that have either supported or opposed a potential return to Germany for Neuer, but his form for Bayern so far this season suggests that he certainly could stand tall to the task if asked by Julian Nagelsmann. Neuer himself has played rather coy every time he’s been asked about the matter himself, but it wouldn’t be the first time a player has come out of international retirement.
As far as Neuer’s Bayern teammates are concerned, Leon Goretzka recently said he feels the keeper is going to stick to his retirement from Die Mannschaft and won’t make a return before next summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “Manu has ended his career as national team goalkeeper, so I don’t think he’ll be there,” the midfielder plain and simple told RTL (via @iMiaSanMia).
While Nagelsmann himself has previously shut down rumors of a potential Neuer return, Rudi Völler had been less reluctant to shut the door altogether and had said it was not impossible. However, Völler did say that certain criterion would have to be met for a Neuer return to even be a consideration; ter Stegen would have to not be starting matches for Barcelona and Nagelsmann would have to be open and willing for the keeper to make a return as long as he was fit and healthy. While not impossible, it’s still a highly unlikely set of circumstances, especially as ter Stegen is getting set to make his much-anticipated return from injury next month for Barcelona.
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