NEW DELHI: Germany’s veteran keeper Manuel Neuer will go back into international retirement after the end of the World Cup, having returned to the team just for the tournament, he said.
Neuer, a 2014 World Cup winner who is 40 years old and playing his fifth consecutive World Cup as Germany’s starting keeper, had retired after its Euro 2024 quarterfinal exit on home soil. He was a surprise selection in coach Julian Nagelsmann’s squad after a strong second half to the season with club Bayern Munich.
“I stepped back in 2024 with a good reason after a good home Euro. For me it was the right decision. It felt right,” Neuer told a press conference. “It would have been too much of a sporting burden for me (to have kept playing for the national team) for the last two years.
“For me it is clear that this is my last tournament. I do not plan to be there in two years time for the next Euro. In the last days I have dealt with the fact that these are the last games for Germany. But I want to look forward to all the games and not to any goodbye shirts.” Agencies
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