Manuel Neuer, the 40-year-old German football legend, who retired from the national team after the 2024 European Championship, may be making a comeback for the World Cup. According to German media, the coach Julian Nagelsmann has already held a meeting with the goalkeeper, and there have been intense discussions behind the scenes regarding his potential return. The recent meeting between Neuer and Nagelsmann seems to have shifted the goalkeeper’s stance, despite his long-standing reluctance to rejoin the team.

The primary reason for considering Neuer's return is the injury troubles of Mark-André ter Stegen, Barcelona’s goalkeeper. Ter Stegen, who is on loan to Girona, has missed a significant portion of the season and his fitness remains questionable. This uncertainty at the goalkeeper position has led to the interim selection of Oliver Baumann from Hoffenheim, but his form has not been up to the level required for the World Cup. As a result, the German Football Association (DFB) leadership is reportedly taking the veteran's return more seriously.

Prominent German publication Kicker reports that discussions within the DFB about Neuer are far more intense and controversial than what Nagelsmann publicly acknowledges. Despite both parties previously dismissing this possibility, the pressure to reconsider the veteran's inclusion is growing.