Germany head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is fit and ready to start in the team’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Curaçao.
Neuer, now 40, returns to the national team setup after almost two years away from international football, having been persuaded out of retirement by Nagelsmann ahead of the tournament.
The experienced shot-stopper last featured for Germany on July 5, 2024, when the four-time world champions suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the quarterfinals of UEFA Euro 2024.
Shortly after that tournament, Neuer stepped away from international duty before making his comeback.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner also battled a calf injury in the build-up to this year’s competition, forcing him to miss Germany’s recent friendly matches — a 4-0 victory over Finland and a 2-1 win against the United States.
“(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.”
Germany heads into the clash as overwhelming favourites against Curaçao, who are making their first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup and have become the smallest nation to qualify for the competition.
Despite their underdog status, Curaçao will be guided by vastly experienced coach Dick Advocaat, who previously managed the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup and South Korea in 2006.
Advancing beyond the group stage appears a difficult task for the debutants, as they are likely to need a surprise result against Germany and strong performances against Ecuador and Ivory Coast to keep their hopes alive.
