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Germany's record-breaking goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, will return to the national team for the 2026 World Cup, two years after retiring from the national team.
Germany's record-breaking goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is returning to the German national team two years after his retirement to take part in the World Cup. National team coach Julian Nagelsmann will rely on the 40-year-old Bayern Munich captain for the tournament that starts on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann, who was previously considered the number one goalkeeper, has been demoted in the pecking order just before the start of preparations for the World Cup. The third goalkeeper in the squad will be Stuttgart's Alexander Nübel. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Jonas Urbig will also travel with the team to the USA to help with training and be available if needed.
During the squad announcement at the German Football Association's campus in Frankfurt, it was also made clear that Cologne striker Said El Mala is not part of the 26-man squad for the World Cup. Freiburg's Matthias Ginter also did not receive an invitation from Nagelsmann, just a day after the 3-0 defeat in the Europa League final against Aston Villa.
The team will be led by captain Joshua Kimmich. Vice-captains Kai Havertz and Antonio Rüdiger have returned to fitness for the World Cup after long-term injuries, as has Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha.
The youngest player in the team is 18-year-old Lennart Karl of Bayern Munich, who has played two games for the national team. The squad also includes Maximilian Beier and Nadiem Amiri, who were not called up earlier this year.
Neuer, born in Gelsenkirchen, recently extended his contract with Bayern Munich until the summer of 2027. During more than 20 years as a professional, he has raised the role of goalkeeper to a new level with his unique style of play.
From the 2010 World Cup to the 2024 European Championship, Neuer was Germany's starting goalkeeper at every major tournament. With 124 caps for the national team, he is the most capped goalkeeper in Germany's history. His greatest achievement remains winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
In the group stage of the World Cup, Germany will play on June 14 in Houston against Curaçao, on June 20 in Toronto, Canada against Côte d'Ivoire and on June 25 in East Rutherford against Ecuador. The team will be based in Winston-Salem, in the US state of North Carolina.
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