Once again, Manuel Neuer’s net rattled during Germany’s World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash against Paraguay. A 41st-minute header from Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead at the Boston stadium.
This marks the fifth goal Neuer has conceded in this edition of the tournament, reflecting a clear defensive crisis for Germany and justifying the recent wave of criticism the legendary goalkeeper has faced from German fans.
Remarkably, the last time Neuer kept a clean sheet in a World Cup match was 12 years ago, specifically in the 2014 final against Argentina.
Since then, Neuer has played 10 consecutive World Cup matches without a single clean sheet. This is the worst such run for a goalkeeper in World Cup history, tying the record held by Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal across the 1950 to 1962 tournaments.
During these ten matches, the Bayern Munich shot-stopper has conceded 13 goals, though he still holds the record for the most appearances by a goalkeeper in World Cup history with 23 matches.
Mexico, Sweden, and South Korea all scored past Neuer in 2018; Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica found the net against him in 2022; and this year, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, and finally Paraguay have breached his defense.
Neuer had previously decided to retire from international football after Euro 2024, and Oliver Baumann was expected to be Germany’s starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup. However, manager Julian Nagelsmann reversed the decision in May, recalling the 40-year-old veteran to feature in the tournament.
