Manuel Neuer ended a two-year absence from the Germany team with Euro 2024 once set to be the final chapter of his international career, according to the source text. Strong late-career form for Bayern Munich and a serious injury to Marc-André ter Stegen prompted Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann to include Neuer on a preliminary list of players among the long list of those over 40 who will take part in the 2026 World Cup.
Neuer’s international span now covers 16 years and five World Cups, and the source text credits him with teaching teammates that goalkeepers can be more than traditional shot stoppers. That influence, the report says, transformed how the position is played at the highest level.
The goalkeeper’s rise accelerated ahead of the 2010 World Cup after the suicide of Robert Enke, which hastened Neuer’s senior debut. The source text notes another twist of fate when René Adler suffered a rib injury, opening a spot that Neuer took, overtaking Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt to start for a side undergoing a significant generational change.
At South Africa 2010, Neuer produced solid performances and provided an assist for Miroslav Klose in a contentious match with England, helping Germany reach the semifinals before a narrow defeat to eventual champions Spain, according to the source text.
By Brazil 2014, Neuer had expanded his game beyond shot-stopping, showing a readiness to act as a sweeper and confidence with his feet. The source text says those traits forced peers to adapt. His move to Bayern Munich in 2011 accelerated that development, amid a difficult start that included a Champions League final loss to Chelsea followed by a treble-winning season.
The source text frames the 2026 World Cup as an opportunity for Neuer to close out a career that combined high points and disappointments and to offer a stronger finale than Germany’s recent group-stage exits.
