Head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed Germany’s final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, May 21, with the return of Manuel Neuer emerging as the biggest surprise ahead of the tournament in North America.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper had stepped away from international football after Euro 2024 but has now reversed his decision to rejoin Die Mannschaft for one final FIFA World Cup campaign.
Nagelsmann confirmed Neuer will immediately reclaim Germany’s No. 1 shirt, making him the only player in the squad from the country’s 2014 FIFA World Cup-winning campaign. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper is now set to feature in his fifth World Cup tournament.
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Germany’s squad reflects the transition Nagelsmann has attempted to build since taking charge, combining experienced figures such as Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rüdiger and Leon Goretzka with a younger generation led by Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.
Musiala and Wirtz are expected to form the creative core of the side. Wirtz arrives after a closely scrutinised debut season at Liverpool, while Musiala returns after recovering from a serious ankle injury.
Kai Havertz will spearhead Germany’s attack after helping Arsenal secure the Premier League title, while captain Joshua Kimmich remains central to Nagelsmann’s tactical structure because of his versatility and leadership.
One of the surprise inclusions was 18-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Lennart Karl, who earned his first major tournament call-up. Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, meanwhile, missed out after failing to recover from a long-term knee injury.
Nagelsmann also left out Niclas Füllkrug, Karim Adeyemi, Chris Führich and Matthias Ginter, decisions that underlined the manager’s willingness to prioritise current form and tactical balance over reputation.
Germany’s FIFA World Cup History
Germany are one of the most successful nations in FIFA World Cup history, having won the tournament in Switzerland in 1954, on home soil in 1974, in Italy in 1990 and in Brazil in 2014.
They have reached the World Cup final on eight occasions, with their 2014 triumph in Brazil remaining one of the defining campaigns in modern tournament history. Germany defeated hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals before Mario Götze scored the winning goal in extra time against Argentina in the final.
Germany will enter the 2026 tournament looking to move level with Brazil’s record of five FIFA World Cup titles.
Despite their historical success, Germany are coming off disappointing campaigns in both 2018 and 2022, suffering group-stage exits in consecutive tournaments.
Germany FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad
Goalkeepers:
Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders:
Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
Midfielders:
Nadiem Amiri (FSV Mainz 05), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Groß (Borussia Dortmund), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Forwards:
Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Leroy Sané (Galatasaray), Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
Germany FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group E Fixtures
June 14, 2026: Germany vs Curaçao — NRG Stadium, Houston, USA
June 20, 2026: Germany vs Ivory Coast — BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 25, 2026: Ecuador vs Germany — MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, USA
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