In the midst of defining stages, the German national team officially announced this Thursday its final roster of 26 players for the 2026 World Cup and the main news was the unexpected return of Manuel Neuer, who will compete in a World Cup at the age of 40 after announcing his international retirement in 2024.
The decision by Julian Nagelsmann surprised the German football community, as the historic Bayern Munich goalkeeper had considered his time with the Mannschaft over after the elimination in Euro 2024 against Spain, a match that until now appeared to be his last performance in the national jersey.
Almost 700 days after that match, the world champion will once again be part of a World Cup call-up and will thus participate in his fifth World Cup, having previously played in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.
Neuer's return has sparked a strong debate in Germany over the past few weeks. While part of the football community called for experience and leadership for a team in reconstruction, other sectors demanded a definitive renewal in goal and questioned the veteran goalkeeper's call-up over players who went through the entire qualifying process.
Beyond the debate, Nagelsmann ultimately opted for the experience of the Bayern captain in a list marked by a balance between established figures and young talents. Among the main figures are Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz, one of the most promising German players in Europe.
Additionally, the coach included Lennart Karl, an 18-year-old gem from Bayern Munich, who will have his first experience in a major international event with the senior national team.
The call-up also left several notable absences. Marc-André ter Stegen, Serge Gnaby, and İlkay Gündoğan were left out of the list, the first two due to injury (rupture of the left hamstring tendon and rupture of the right thigh adductor tendon, respectively) and the last because he officially retired from the national team after Euro 2024. Other important names that did not make the final cut were Niclas Füllkrug, Karim Adeyemi, Robert Andrich, and Jonathan Burkardt.
With a squad less filled with stars than in previous times, but with a consolidated collective structure, Germany will try to be a contender in a World Cup again after their disappointing performances in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
In the lead-up to the competition, the Germans will have two friendly matches for preparation: one on May 31 against Finland in Germany and another on June 6 against the United States in Chicago. In the tournament, they will be in Group E along with Curaçao, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador. Their debut will be against the Central American team on June 14 in Houston, followed by a match against the Africans on June 20 in Toronto, and they will close the group stage against the South Americans on June 25 in New Jersey.
The 26 players called up by Germany for the 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers:
Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
Alecander Nübel (Stuttgart)
Defenders:
Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund)
Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
David Raum (Red Bull Leipzig)
Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
