Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has officially confirmed that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is fully fit and will start against Curaçao in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener.
The 40-year-old enters the World Cup having not played for Germany in almost two years after coach Julian Nagelsmann lured him out of international retirement.
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Neuer’s last official game for Germany was on July 5, 2024, in a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat to Spain during the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament. Following that match, he briefly retired from international football.
The 2014 World Cup winner had to nurse a calf injury in the buildup to the 2026 tournament and played no part in the 4-0 friendly win against Finland and the 2-1 victory against the USA.
“(He’s) definitely fit enough to start the game and he got better and better,” Nagelsmann said Saturday night.
“He didn’t really have the rhythm, but now he has found it. He played a lot; we trust him a lot, and I think … in order to have a good World Cup, we need Manuel in top performance, and I think he can bring that.”
Four-time champion Germany is a heavy favorite against Curaçao, which is making its debut in the World Cup and is the smallest nation ever to qualify for the tournament.
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Though they’re the underdogs in the opener, Coach Dick Advocaat has plenty of World Cup experience, having coached the Netherlands in 1994 and South Korea in 2006.
Curaçao’s chances of advancing to the round of 32 are slim. They would need a miraculous result or two, like holding or shocking Germany, plus strong showings against Ecuador and Ivory Coast to have any hope.
