Manuel Neuer fit to join Germany in first World Cup match

Manuel Neuer will be taking to the field as goalkeeper in Germany’s first 2026 World Cup match against Curacao on Sunday, coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Saturday. 

“All the players are fit and Manu will start,” Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference.

Neuer brought out of national retirement

The match in Houston in the US state of Texas will be the 40-year-old goalkeeper’s first appearance for Germany in nearly two years.

He has been brought out of international retirement after he helped Bayern win the Bundesliga title and reach the Champions League semi-finals this season.

A calf injury kept Neuer out of recent warm-up friendlies against Finland and the US, both won by Germany.

Germany seeking ‘perfect performance’ against Curacao

Nagelsmann said Germany would be striving for excellence in the match against Curacao, which is taking part in its first World Cup.

The Curacao players “are all well-trained and can go into the tournament without pressure. That always makes an opponent dangerous,” Nagelsmann said.

“You never win a match just because you’re favorites. We will win a match only if we produce a perfect performance,” he said. 

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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar