Manuel Neuer delivered another legendary performance for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid, proving once again that he is the undisputed best goalkeeper in Germany. However, he will not be part of the German national team for the 2026 World Cup, despite having been open to the idea earlier last year.
Neuer had announced his international retirement after Euro 2024, and since then, Oliver Baumann, the Hoffenheim goalkeeper, has become the German national team’s first-choice keeper. But there is undoubtedly a world of difference between him and the 40-year-old, who still looks like he’s in his twenties.
Over the past few months, and especially after Ter Stegen’s recurring injuries, the idea of Neuer returning to Germany for his fifth consecutive World Cup was floated, with considerable enthusiasm from officials. But the truth is, the legend will never return to his homeland, and the reason lies with Julian Nagelsmann.
The Neuer-Nagelsmann rift is longstanding.
According to German football legend Lothar Matthäus, the long-standing disagreements between Manuel Neuer and Julian Nagelsmann, dating back to the latter’s time at Bayern Munich, are the primary reason both sides refuse to reconcile, regardless of the circumstances.
“Neuer is currently playing at a world-class level, and his place is in the national team,” Matthäus said after Neuer’s stellar performance against Real Madrid.
He added, “I hope Nagelsmann watched the game. I’d really like to see Manuel Neuer at this level in the World Cup, but I also know it won’t happen.”
He concluded, “Nagelsmann will never open the door to Neuer’s return, and even when the idea was raised, he didn’t respond positively. Unfortunately, Manuel’s decision to retire from international football is final and irreversible.”
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Neuer was ready to participate in the 2026 World Cup
Looking at Neuer’s past statements over the last year, it remains clear that he wouldn’t mind returning to the German national team if needed, a point previously confirmed by his agent.
However, from the moment these rumors surfaced, Nagelsmann was adamant in his stance, effectively ending Neuer’s hopes of playing in the World Cup by finalizing the German goalkeepers’ order of priority.
Nagelsmann confirmed that Baumann would remain Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper, while Bayern Munich’s on-loan goalkeeper to Stuttgart, Alexander Nübel, would be the second. The competition for the third-choice position would then be among the other Bundesliga goalkeepers.
When asked about participating in the World Cup after the Real Madrid match, Neuer responded with a mixture of despair and anger, saying, “Everything has been said about it. What matters now is the rest of the season with Bayern Munich.”
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Neuer was one of the reasons for Nagelsmann’s dismissal from Bayern Munich
It seems clear that Nagelsmann cannot forgive Neuer for being one of the main reasons for the coach’s sudden dismissal from Bayern Munich in March 2023, due to their strained relationship.
The then-young coach was determined to remove the goalkeeping coach and Neuer’s friend from his position, and from that point on, disagreements began to surface between the two in various aspects.
Nagelsmann’s relationship with most of the Bayern Munich players deteriorated over time, leading the Bayern Munich management to make the surprising decision to dismiss him and appoint Thomas Tuchel. Later, it proved that this decision was incorrect.
A few months later, Nagelsmann became the coach of the German national team, succeeding Hansi Flick. While he did rely on Neuer for Euro 2024, he was undoubtedly unhappy about it, and the opportunity arose to end their collaboration once the German legend retired from international football.
