Manuel Neuer makes World Cup return for Germany at 40 but will the goalkeeper enhance his reputation or risk his legacy? | Football News

Germany go into this tournament having failed to get out of the group at the previous two World Cups since lifting the trophy in 2014. But they do have one man in the squad who was part of that triumph in Brazil thanks to the return of Manuel Neuer.

The legendary Bayern Munich goalkeeper earned a shock recall to Julian Nagelsmann’s squad on the eve of this World Cup, despite having retired from international football after Euro 2024. His unexpected comeback is a major talking point in Germany.

Oliver Baumann, the erstwhile Germany No 1, is the victim of Neuer’s decision to end his exile. He is handling it with impressive calm and no little honestly, acknowledging that the news has been “not exactly cool” but reaffirming his commitment to help the team.

The situation has been further complicated by a calf injury to Neuer that saw Baumann play well in the two warm-up games only for Nagelsmann to confirm that the veteran Bayern goalkeeper will be the one lining up against Curacao in their World Cup opener.

Thomas Muller, a long-time team-mate of Neuer’s, probably summed up the feeling best when saying that the decision made sense from a purely sporting perspective only to add the caveat that “the communication was questionable” from Nagelsmann.

Neuer shone during the first leg of Bayern Munich’s epic Champions League semi-final against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. His performance levels encouraged him to sign a contract extension with his club and angle for this return with the national team.

If Neuer can perform even close to his best then that best puts him among the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Benedikt Howedes, a World Cup winner alongside Neuer in 2014 who grew up with him at Schalke, believes that he remains unsurpassed in his position.

“I would say Manuel Neuer is still the best goalkeeper in the world, and of course still in Germany,” says Howedes. In which case, Nagelsmann’s decision was an obvious one. “In my opinion, the best players in Germany have to play for the national team.”

As Howedes reveals, it is not just the saves that everyone can see at home and in the stands. It is that feeling that he projects to those around him. “If you could feel his performance on the pitch when you are a team-mate, it is just outstanding,” he explains.

“It helps you as a defender so much when you know that Manuel Neuer is behind you, that you are becoming a better defender as well, because you play with so much confidence. His presence is outstanding on the field.” Opponents feel it too.

“When Neuer is in front of the goal, something happens to the opponent. You have seen it so many times when strikers are running towards his goal, they almost get afraid of him because he has such a presence. It is the mentality he shows to his opponent.

“He plays with so much confidence. That is what makes him really special. He is never afraid of anything. He would take a penalty in a World Cup final if he had to. Everyone who has shared a pitch with him would say they cannot believe how good he really is.”

Neuer’s aura explained

Neuer’s aura is justified. This will be his fifth World Cup as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper, during which time he has become a template for an entire generation of players in his position. He was a sweeper-keeper before the term was popularised.

The sight of Neuer rushing from his goal to snuff out openings has become so familiar. According to Opta, he has swept up successfully to snuff out attacks on 135 occasions in the Champions League since 2010 – more than twice as many as any other player.

If that statistic is not so surprising given his extraordinary longevity, consider the fact that Neuer also ranked top for this metric in the Champions League season just gone. Even after all these years, his style of goalkeeping still stands out from the rest.

One recalls a conversation with Kevin Trapp, who served as back-up for Neuer at the 2018 World Cup, one of many German goalkeepers who have tried to compete with him for his place over the best part of two decades. He regards Neuer as a game changer.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Trapp said: “He took it to a whole other level. Since then, everybody wants to be like Manu. Before, you always wanted to be a striker to score goals. That speaks for itself. You could see what else goalkeepers were capable of.

“There are the little details that make the difference between world class and, let’s say, a normal goalkeeper. I am pretty sure that not only for me but for a lot of goalkeepers who came through in that generation, Manu was their role model, 100 per cent.”

Time catching up with Neuer?

Nevertheless, Neuer is 40. While it is true that Dino Zoff captained Italy to World Cup glory in 1982 at that age, injuries big and small have been an issue for the Germany goalkeeper. The manner of his return means that he will be under even greater scrutiny.

Speaking to Roman Weidenfeller, the former Borussia Dortmund player who served as back-up to Neuer during that World Cup win in 2014, he laid out the challenge that ageing goalkeepers face when the reactions begin to dull. Shots become harder to save.

“You feel it,” Weidenfeller explained during that conversation. “You have saved the ball. But then the stadium is crying and you are thinking, what has happened? The ball is in. This is the feeling. Normally, it is your ball and you save it. But you do not save it.”

As Weidenfeller saw it, there is simply no amount of preparation work that a player can possibly put in to keep time at bay forever. “Of course, you always work at your reactions on the machines, with the new technology. But the biological clock is ticking. It is.”

Will that catch up with Neuer at this World Cup? Howedes is more optimistic. Despite being younger than his old team-mate and long since retired, he sees someone doing all the right things. “First of all, he plays a different position on the field as me,” he explains.

“He is very professional. He is the first who comes into the locker room and the last one who leaves because he is taking it seriously. He takes care of his body with massages, with gym work and so on. That is why he is still in this physical condition.”

It will be difficult for Neuer. This is not a vintage group of Germany players and for all his efforts to redefine goalkeeping, it remains a unique role. Other ageing legends at this World Cup such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can hope for a special moment.

The risk for Neuer is that, great as he is, the nature of his position means that he is still more likely to make headlines for the wrong reason. What is certain is that it will not worry him. When it comes to taking risks, Manuel Neuer has built an entire career on it.