Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed what was already apparent when he named his squad for the 2026 World Cup: Manuel Neuer is returning and will start the tournament as number one. Record international Lothar Matthäus now has a special demand ahead of the tournament
The debate surrounding Neuer’s nomination was heated. No wonder, as Oliver Baumann was actually supposed to start the tournament as the regular goalkeeper and in the weeks leading up to the nomination, communication was the main topic – that of the national coach, but also that of Neuer, who no longer completely categorically ruled out returning
Even now, there are still two camps: one that believes that the withdrawal is unfair to Baumann, and one that believes that Neuer is Germany’s best goalkeeper and therefore has every right to go to the World Cup
Matthäus talks about the Neuer debate
In his column on Sky, Lothar Matthäus has now also commented on the debate surrounding Manuel Neuer: „If he’s fit, he has to play against Finland and the USA – without discussion. Especially after a long break, you need match practice, you need rhythm, you need coordination with your defense,“ said Matthäus
He continued: „These games before the tournament are no longer experiments, but a dress rehearsal. And overall, it’s now about something that is perhaps even more important than any tactical question: unity. There has been a lot of discussion recently – about line-ups, about issues off the pitch, about decisions. That’s part of it.“
Matthäus is therefore calling for cohesion, for everyone to pull together, which is indeed extremely important before a tournament like this
The former world-class player reiterated this once again: „We’ve now reached the point where these discussions are no longer of any use. The squad is in place, the coach has decided – now it’s just a matter of going into this tournament together.“
