Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed on Saturday that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will start Sunday’s FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Curacao, marking the 40-year-old’s return to international football after nearly two years.
“All the players are fit and Manu will start,” Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Germany’s tournament opener in Houston.
The match will be Neuer’s first appearance for Germany since the Euro 2024 quarter-final defeat to Spain. The goalkeeper retired from international football following that tournament but was brought back into the national team setup by Nagelsmann after an impressive season with Bayern Munich.
Neuer played a key role in Bayern’s Bundesliga-winning campaign and helped the German giants reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, convincing Nagelsmann that the experienced goalkeeper still had a role to play at the highest level.
The 2014 World Cup winner has earned 124 caps for Germany since making his international debut in 2009 and is set to feature at a fifth World Cup. Over the course of his international career, Neuer has represented Germany at the 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, as well as the 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 European Championships.
Neuer’s return comes after he managed a calf injury in the build-up to the tournament. The goalkeeper missed Germany’s 4-0 friendly victory over Finland and the subsequent 2-0 win against the United States as he continued his recovery.
The Bayern captain enjoyed another strong club season in 2025-26, conceding 40 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets in 37 appearances across all competitions.
While Germany enter Sunday’s match as overwhelming favourites, Nagelsmann warned against underestimating Curacao, who are making their FIFA World Cup debut.
“This is a German Cup situation. David versus Goliath,” Nagelsmann said.
The Germany coach stressed that Curacao’s players would arrive with little pressure and plenty of motivation, making them a potentially dangerous opponent despite the disparity in pedigree and experience.
“The Curacao players are all well-trained and can go into the tournament without pressure. That always makes an opponent dangerous,” Nagelsmann said.
“You never win a match just because you’re favourites. We will win a match only if we produce a perfect performance.
“We’re going to try to show our best level.”
Germany have been drawn alongside Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in the group stage as they seek to add a fifth World Cup title to their triumphs in 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19. Germany begin their campaign hoping to improve on recent World Cup disappointments and mount a serious challenge for the trophy under Nagelsmann.
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