Germany goalkeeper Neuer retires from international soccer
The 38-year-old Neuer made his debut for Germany in 2009 and won the World Cup in 2014
AP
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Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer
Munich, 21 Aug
Germany goalkeeper
Manuel Neuer said Wednesday he is retiring from the national team after 15
years and 124 games. He is staying in club soccer with Bayern Munich.
The 38-year-old
Neuer made his debut for Germany in 2009 and won the World Cup in 2014. His
last game for the national team was the 2-1 extra-time loss to eventual
champion Spain in the quarterfinals as Germany hosted Euro 2024.
Neuer said he was
“tempted” by the prospect of staying on for the 2026 World Cup but decided
against it after speaking with family and friends. That could open the door for
Barcelona's Marc-André ter Stegen, who has played for Germany 40 times but
never at a major tournament, to take over as starting goalkeeper.
“I feel very good
physically and obviously would have been very tempted by the 2026 World Cup in
the USA, Canada and Mexico. At the same time I am convinced that now is the
right time to take this step and to concentrate fully on FC Bayern Munich in
the future," Neuer said in a statement.
Neuer is the
second leading player in the German team to retire from international soccer
this week after midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, who captained the team at Euro 2024.
He cited fatigue and the pressures of a busy club and international schedule in
his statement Monday.
Forward Thomas
Müller retired from the national team last month, and midfielder Toni Kroos
retired from all soccer when Germany exited Euro 2024.
Coach Julian
Nagelsmann had already indicated he would look to refresh the German team,
which had the highest average age of any squad at Euro 2024, with an eye on the
2026 World Cup. Germany's next games are in the Nations League at home to
Hungary on Sept. 7 and away at the Netherlands three days later.
At his peak, Neuer
helped to change what it meant to be a modern goalkeeper, with his emphasis on
playing higher up the field and taking on a key role in starting attacks.
Nagelsmann, who
also coached Neuer at Bayern from 2021 through 2023, paid tribute to Neuer's
influence on the game of soccer as a whole.
“Even though I can
understand Manu's decision and his reasons, his departure is a big loss — both
in sporting and personal terms,” Nagelsmann said. “Manu shaped goalkeeping play
like no one else in the history of soccer.”
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