Neuer says World Cup 2026 will be his last tournament.

Germany’s veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer announced that he will retire from international football after the 2026 World Cup, saying he had returned to the squad solely for the tournament.

The 40‑year‑old, who has won the World Cup in 2014 and will be starting his fifth consecutive World Cup for Germany, had stepped away from international duty following the team’s quarter‑final exit at Euro 2024 on home soil.

He was a surprise inclusion in coach Julian Nagelsmann’s squad after a strong finish to the season with Bayern Munich.

“I stepped back in 2024 with a good reason after a good home Euro. For me it was the right decision. It felt right,” Neuer told a press conference (via Reuters).

“It would have been too much of a sporting burden for me (to have kept playing for the national team) for the last two years.”

“For me it is clear that this is my last tournament. I do not plan to be there in two years’ time for the next Euro. In the last days I have dealt with the fact that these are the last games for Germany. But I want to look forward to all the games and not to any goodbye shirts.”

Also Read: Hang Up The Gloves At The End Of The Season –Kahn Advises Neuer

Neuer was chosen ahead of Oliver Baumann, who had been named first choice for the tournament before Neuer’s return, and he played his first match for his country in two years in Germany’s 7‑1 opening Group E win over Curacao.

“We work together with Oliver. We support each other and train for the team. After coming together we discussed things and talked about how it came about (with my return),” Neuer said.

Neuer will be in goal on Saturday for the group match against Ivory Coast, a win that would see Germany through to the knockout stage with a game to spare. The Germans were eliminated in the first round in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“This is our goal. We have everything in our own hands. We don’t want to look back at past World Cups,” Neuer said. “The team does not deal with that. We look at the next step and the next step is Ivory Coast.”

James Agberebi

James is a sport content creator and also does analysis on sports. Also, James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men and women national teams. Facebook : James Agberebi