Following the retirement of Toni Kroos and the DFB retirements of captain Ilkay Gündogan and Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer has also announced that he will no longer play for Germany's national team.
The 38-year-old goalkeeper announced his decision to national coach Julian Nagelsmann on Wednesday "in a trusting and respectful conversation", according to a press release.
"Anyone who knows me knows that this decision was not easy for me. I feel very well physically, and of course the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico would have been very appealing to me. At the same time, I am convinced that now is exactly the right time to take this step and concentrate fully on FC Bayern Munich in the future," said Neuer, explaining his decision. He is still under contract with the German record champions until next summer.
Neuer played 124 international matches and captained Germany 61 times. He was named best goalkeeper of the tournament at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. After suffering a serious leg fracture in a skiing accident in December 2022, Neuer returned to the goal for the German national team - with the home European Championships this summer as the final highlight.
SDA
