Germany Names Veteran Manuel Neuer in World Cup Squad
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann surprised fans by including 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 26-man World Cup roster, announced on Thursday.
Neuer had previously retired from international play after the 2024 European Championship and indicated last month that he would not return for the 2026 World Cup. However, he will now make his fifth World Cup appearance as the first-choice goalkeeper, ahead of Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann and Stuttgart’s Alexander Nubel.
This decision surprised many, including Nagelsmann, who is two years younger than Neuer. Baumann, at 35 years old, has made over 500 Bundesliga appearances but only has 11 caps for Germany, compared to Neuer’s impressive 124.
Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich has been named captain of the team. He will be joined by notable players including Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala, and forwards Deniz Undav from Stuttgart and Kai Havertz from Arsenal. Musiala has made the squad after recovering from a broken leg sustained during the 2025 Club World Cup.
Several players missed out on the roster, including Robert Andrich, Chris Fuhrich, Niclas Fullkrug, and Anton Stach, who had been part of the March internationals. Bayern forward Serge Gnabry is absent due to injury, and Karim Adeyemi is also dealing with health concerns.
Germany, which has been eliminated in the group stage of the past two World Cups, will play friendlies against Finland in Mainz on May 31 and the United States in Chicago on June 6. The team will set up camp at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., renting the university’s Graylyn Estate for training and accommodations.
The team’s Group E matches kick off with a game against Curacao in Houston on June 14, followed by a matchup against Ivory Coast in Toronto on June 20, and culminating in a game against Ecuador in New Jersey on June 25.
GERMANY WORLD CUP ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)
Defenders: Joshua Kimmich (captain, Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
Midfielders: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Pascal Gross (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Forwards: Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United), Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)