Julian Nagelsmann recalls Manuel Neuer to support Germany's 2026 World Cup bid

[p]The 40-year-old retired from international duty in 2024 but coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-julian/bBHauDIC/"]Julian Nagelsmann[/a] confirmed the World Cup winner will be the number one option ahead of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baumann-oliver/MZ6BATVO/"]Oliver Baumann[/a] at this summer's tournament in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]United States[/a], Canada and Mexico.[/p][p][b]"Everyone knows the aura and quality Manu has, what he brings to a team,"[/b] Nagelsmann said at a squad announcement in Frankfurt.[/p][p]"We're planning with him as our number one."[/p][image alt="Manuel Neuer stats this season in the Bundesliga" id="8727af4d-cabf-46b0-a009-055e4f239d68" credit-line="StatsPerform via Opta" guid="a81603c7-fe0a-4847-9354-75cff016f3f2" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kimmich-joshua/MkMrkZLc/"]Joshua Kimmich[/a] will retain the captaincy despite the long-time skipper's return.[/p][p]Former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern[/a] winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sane-leroy/GlTyfr8U/"]Leroy Sane[/a], now at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/galatasaray/riaqqurF/"]Galatasaray[/a], has retained his spot.[/p][p]Bayern Munich's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neuer-manuel/Sh5KwIo6/"]Neuer[/a] is the only remaining member of the squad that won the World Cup in 2014.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ginter-matthias/27fpNoQk/"]Matthias Ginter[/a], another 2014 World Cup winner who was instrumental in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/freiburg/fiEQZ7C7/"]Freiburg[/a]'s run to the Europa League final, failed to make the cut, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thiaw-malick/0vSsR1xI/"]Malick Thiaw[/a] preferred in central defence.[/p][p]Bayern goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/urbig-jonas/6TJsuRSF/"]Jonas Urbig[/a] was dropped from the squad after being called up for the March friendlies, but will travel with the side to help in training during the tournament.[/p][p]Munich's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musiala-jamal/nVzSNrOf/"]Jamal Musiala[/a] returns to the squad after missing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/ptQide1O/"]Germany[/a]'s March friendlies as he recovered from a broken ankle.[/p][p]Nagelsmann named a Premier League-heavy attacking contingent, which includes freshly minted English Premier League champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/havertz-kai/rH8BZWiI/"]Kai Havertz[/a] of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wirtz-florian/0Q5gjImi/"]Florian Wirtz[/a] and Newcastle's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woltemade-nick/4YDUd1at/"]Nick Woltemade[/a].[/p][p]Bayern youngster [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lennart-karl/t0q0DalG/"]Lennart Karl[/a], 18, was also called up to a major tournament for the first time.[/p][embed guid="7305f0fd-a654-4af1-b2f3-4cdde46f24b7" url="https://x.com/dfb_team/status/2057417571419230719?s=46" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Germany's World Cup struggles[/h2][p]As expected, Bayern forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gnabry-serge/6iZjDNFC/"]Serge Gnabry[/a] misses out with a thigh injury, as does [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a] goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ter-stegen-marc-andre/byxc46yl/"]Marc-Andre Ter Stegen[/a]. Recent regulars [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fullkrug-niclas/zBydyE1a/"]Niclas Fuellkrug[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andrich-robert/zDjAwp82/"]Robert Andrich[/a] were not called up.[/p][p]The German FA (DFB) began sharing video snippets announcing the squad player by player on social media early on Thursday, with Kimmich the first confirmed.[/p][p]Neuer was the standout player as Germany won their fourth World Cup in 2014, but since then the team's form has plummeted.[/p][p]Germany crashed out at the World Cup group stage in 2018 for the first time since 1938 and repeated the feat four years later in Qatar.[/p][p]The Germans have not fared much better in other international tournaments. Since making the semi-finals of Euro 2016, Germany have won just one knockout game in the tournament -- a 2-0 success against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denmark/0KUdxQVi/"]Denmark[/a] on home soil at Euro 2024.[/p][p]Neuer has impressed this season for Bayern, winning man-of-the-match honours in the quarter-final victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a], but comes into the tournament under an injury cloud due to a recurring calf complaint.[/p][p]He is in doubt for Saturday's German Cup final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vfb-stuttgart/nJQmYp1B/"]Stuttgart[/a] in Berlin.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/finland-QuVpPpic/germany-ptQide1O/?mid=6avr2Jf5"]The Germans will have one final match on home soil[/a], against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/QuVpPpic/"]Finland[/a] on May 31, before facing World Cup co-hosts the United States [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/germany-ptQide1O/usa-fuitL4CF/?mid=dOR51pNF"]in Chicago on June 6[/a].[/p][p]Germany will be based in North Carolina during the tournament.[/p][p]They are in Group C alongside debutants [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/curacao/bLLGpOkQ/"]Curacao[/a], the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a].[/p][p][b]Germany squad:[/b][/p][p][b]Goalkeepers: [/b]Oliver Baumann ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hoffenheim/hQAtP9Sl/"]Hoffenheim[/a]), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Alexander Nuebel[/a] (Stuttgart)[/p][p][b]Defenders:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anton-waldemar/b3gqj94D/"]Waldemar Anton[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dortmund/nP1i5US1/"]Borussia Dortmund[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-nathaniel/Kh5pWVDr/"]Nathaniel Brown[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eintracht-frankfurt/8vndvXTk/"]Eintracht Frankfurt[/a]), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raum-david/2XVqEh8k/"]David Raum[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rb-leipzig/KbS1suSm/"]RB Leipzig[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rudiger-antonio/rZHXvTho/"]Antonio Rudiger[/a] (Real Madrid), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schlotterbeck-nico/hKLN8mA7/"]Nico Schlotterbeck[/a] (Borussia Dortmund), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tah-jonathan/2yf8EcuE/"]Jonathan Tah[/a] (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle/ENG)[/p][p][b]Midfielders:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/amiri-nadiem/b3H5VR8I/"]Nadiem Amiri[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mainz/EuakNmc1/"]Mainz[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/goretzka-leon/l2JpsMjB/"]Leon Goretzka[/a] (Bayern Munich), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gross-pascal/trpxfbO3/"]Pascal Gross[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] and Hove Albion/ENG), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leweling-jamie/UTtpcjym/"]Jamie Leweling[/a] (Stuttgart), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nmecha-felix/80RErj9O/"]Felix Nmecha[/a] (Borussia Dortmund), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pavlovic-aleksandar/noANPQx4/"]Aleksandar Pavlovic[/a] (Bayern Munich), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stiller-angelo/0hF2GIXS/"]Angelo Stiller[/a] (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)[/p][p][b]Forwards:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beier-maximilian/6PhlgcmU/"]Maximilian Beier[/a] (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/undav-deniz/tUHAdtMH/"]Deniz Undav[/a] (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)[/p]