The upheaval in the national team is getting bigger and bigger: After Ilkay Gündoğan announced his retirement on Monday, Manuel Neuer, the last world champion from 2014, is now also retiring.
Manuel Neuer is ending his career in the German national football team after 15 years as number one. The 38-year-old FC Bayern Munich professional announced this on Wednesday. “The day had to come at some point,” said Neuer in a video message, adding: “Everyone who knows me knows that the decision was not easy for me.” The day before, there had been reports that he would continue his career in the DFB team. But now the end has come.
Neuer is the last World Champion from 2014 to retire from the national team. After the European Championships at home, he left his future career with the DFB open. His contract with FC Bayern Munich runs until 2025. Until then, he will still be in goal for the club.
Manuel Neuer was once close to leaving the DFB
Neuer has played 124 international matches for Germany. For over a decade, he shaped international goalkeeping with his exceptional performances and special skills. The Gelsenkirchen native initially left the decision about his future in the DFB team open after the 1:2 defeat after extra time against Spain on July 5 in Stuttgart. “I said I’ll think about it after the tournament,” said the long-time captain immediately after the European Championship exit.
The next World Cup in 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is no longer a goal for Neuer, who was the national team’s number one in a total of eight tournaments, starting with the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. He wanted to crown his great goalkeeping career this summer by winning the European Championship title in his own country.
But it was also a success for Neuer to have made it back into the DFB goal after his serious skiing accident in which he broke his lower leg after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. National coach Julian Nagelsmann named the multiple world goalkeeper number one again for the home European Championship. Neuer experienced the absolute peak of his career in the DFB selection at the 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil.
Neuer not the only DFB departure after the 2024 European Championship
Nagelsmann had already announced during the European Championship at home that he wanted to rejuvenate the DFB squad with a view to the 2026 World Cup. After Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller, Neuer is the last world champion from Rio to be eliminated from the DFB selection.
The 34-year-old Kroos ended his career completely after the European Championship. Müller later announced his retirement from the DFB, but like Neuer, he continues to play for FC Bayern.
DFB captain Ilkay Gündogan also recently ended his DFB career. Neuer’s long-time team colleague and rival within the team, Marc-André ter Stegen (32) from FC Barcelona, is now considered the first candidate for the number one goalie position in the national team.
Note: This post has been updated.
Source: Stern
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