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FRANKFURT: Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was handed a surprise recall to the Germany squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday, coming out of international retirement to play in the tournament for a fifth time.
The veteran goalkeeper had stepped away from international football in 2024, but head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed his comeback on Thursday as Germany finalised their squad for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Neuer, who captains Bayern Munich, returns as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper despite strong competition from Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nubel, who were also included in the squad.
Nagelsmann, preparing for his first FIFA World Cup as Germany head coach, backed the experienced shot-stopper to lead the side between the posts as the four-time world champions chase a record-equalling fifth title.
The 40-year-old remains one of the most decorated goalkeepers in modern football and was a key figure in Germany’s triumphant FIFA World Cup 2014 campaign in Brazil.
Germany have been drawn in Group E for the tournament and will begin their campaign against Curacao in Houston on June 14.
They will then face the Ivory Coast in Toronto on June 20 before concluding the group stage against Ecuador in New Jersey on June 25.
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Monaco)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Frankfurt), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle)
Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Alexander Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Denis Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)
READ: Mohamed Salah to lead Egypt squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
