40 Years Manuel Neuer in Germany World Cup Team

Manuel Neuer makes World Cup return for Germany at 40 but will the goalkeeper enhance his reputation or risk his legacy? Germany go into this tournament having failed to get out of the group at the previous two World Cups since lifting the trophy in 2014. But they do have one man in the squad who was part of that triumph in Brazil thanks to the return of Manuel Neuer. The legendary Bayern Munich goalkeeper earned a shock recall to Julian Nagelsmann's squad on the eve of this World Cup, despite having retired from international football after Euro 2024. His unexpected comeback is a major talking point in Germany. Oliver Baumann, the erstwhile Germany No 1, is the victim of Neuer's decision to end his exile. He is handling it with impressive calm and no little honestly, acknowledging that the news has been "not exactly cool" but reaffirming his commitment to help the team. The situation has been further complicated by a calf injury to Neuer that saw Baumann play well in the two warm-up games only for Nagelsmann to confirm that the veteran Bayern goalkeeper will be the one lining up against Curacao in their World Cup opener. Thomas Muller, a long-time team-mate of Neuer's, probably summed up the feeling best when saying that the decision made sense from a purely sporting perspective only to add the caveat that "the communication was questionable" from Nagelsmann.

Neuer shone during the first leg of Bayern Munich's epic Champions League semi-final against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. His performance levels encouraged him to sign a contract extension with his club and angle for this return with the national team.