Nagelsmann Reinstates Manuel Neuer as Germany's No. 1 for 2026 World Cup

Overview

• Nagelsmann announced his final 26-man World Cup squad in late May and named Manuel Neuer, Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel as the three goalkeepers with Neuer designated as the starter.
• The coach said Neuer earned the recall on sporting grounds after a strong season and a new Bayern contract that signaled he intends to keep playing.
• Nagelsmann told journalists he informed Baumann in March that there were 'Gedankenspiele' about Neuer and that he handled Neuer’s approach privately to avoid public disruption.
• The decision has drawn sharp criticism in commentary for undermining Nagelsmann’s earlier public endorsement of Baumann and for complicating a calm generational rebuild of the goalkeeper position.
• Germany will use the friendly against Finland on 31 May in Mainz as the final test of the squad and the match will be shown live on ZDF and streamed on Joyn.