On the seventh floor of FC Bayern’s elegant team hotel, Manuel Neuer says a few words on his own behalf. At the end of a strenuous day with jet lag from the night flight to South Korea and a first training session in the oppressive heat of Seoul, the topic of the national team naturally pops up. But at a standing table in the “Azaleas” conference room, Neuer cannot really solve the mystery of his future at the DFB.
It has now been four weeks since the DFB team’s unfortunate quarter-final exit against eventual European football champions Spain at their home tournament. Ten years after the 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil, Neuer wanted to become European champion in his own country. The dream was shattered – and in the immediate pain of the 1:2 defeat after extra time, Germany’s record goalkeeper avoided questions about his DFB future. And he is doing the same now, after the former DFB captain had plenty of time to reflect and think on holiday.
“The fact is that I haven’t made a decision yet. It’s not time for me to announce anything or say what will happen next. A few more discussions need to take place,” said Neuer. Including one with national coach Julian Nagelsmann, the key man. And according to Neuer, that hasn’t happened yet.
No conversation with Nagelsmann yet
Only then could there be a major clarification. “Then I have to be clear about what I really want,” said Neuer. Stop, carry on – or even take a break from the DFB? Everything seems possible for the 38-year-old. Even the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico at the age of 40 could still be a goal for the long-time German number one. Neuer has been in the DFB goal at all World Cup and European Championship tournaments since 2010.
In Seoul, Neuer said a telling sentence when he pointed out that the next international matches in the Nations League against Hungary and the Netherlands will take place at the beginning of September. He had not yet made a decision on that either. And then he said: “Toni Kroos also took a bit of a break – and then he came back for the tournament.”
Fellow world champion Kroos (34) retired after the 2021 European Championship and returned to the national team for the home European Championship this summer at Nagelsmann’s request. Kroos then ended his career completely, and Bayern colleague Thomas Müller (34) also ended his long and successful international career.
Time out is legitimate, sort out your thoughts
“It was vacation time. The coaching team gave everything at the tournament, just like we did. It’s legitimate that everyone can take a break, calm down and sort out their thoughts, because then things will go in a different direction, towards the Nations League and then the 2026 World Cup,” explained Neuer, who has played for Germany 124 times.
Nagelsmann had announced that he wanted to further rejuvenate the squad with a view to the World Cup. Also in the goalkeeper position? Marc-André ter Stegen (32) hopes that his time as tournament goalkeeper has finally come.
Home European Championship as possible motivation
The positive experiences at the European Championships have encouraged the Bayern captain to continue. “I was very happy and very satisfied with the way we performed as a team at the European Championships and how we came together with the fans again, how much support there was in our own country. When I was on holiday, many German fans came to me and thanked me for the great time,” said Neuer.
He is also entering the last year of his contract at FC Bayern. The present is important to him, but he is not thinking about the end of his career. Being a goalie at 40 is no problem. “The motivation is great to play a different season, one with lots of titles,” he said after the last season.
After an eleven-hour flight and landing in the late morning local time, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany only allowed the 26-man squad, which had been supplemented with a few young players, a short rest period in Seoul. The first training session took place in the blazing afternoon heat. “We have to grit our teeth,” said Neuer about the time change, heat and humidity.
On the second day, training will take place in the World Cup Stadium, where the sporting highlight will be a test match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (1 p.m./RTL/DAZN/Sky). The duel between the Korean football top stars and national team colleagues Minjae Kim (Bayern) and Heung-Min Son (Tottenham) is “a huge blast,” as Bayern boss Jan-Christian Dreesen said after arriving in South Korea. Over 60,000 spectators will fill the 2002 World Cup arena. And Neuer is keen to be back in goal for the first time since the European Championships.
