Ranking Germany’s Goalkeepers After Manuel Neuer’s Real Madrid Masterpiece
Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer delivered one of the all-time great goalkeeping performances in his side's recent 2-1 victory against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu in their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Goals from Luis Diaz and the prolific Harry Kane were enough to secure the win, but it was the performance of their iconic goalkeeper that stole the show. The veteran 40-year-old shot stopper repeatedly denied both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. as he helped the Bavarians take a one-goal lead back to the Allianz Arena, and his exploits have caused the cogs to start turning in the head of German national team manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Germany's Goalkeeping Conundrum
There was a time not so long ago that Die Mannschaft was spoiled for choice when it came to goalkeepers. Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Borussia Dortmund captain Roman Weidenfeller, and Paris Saint-Germain number one Kevin Trapp all peaked at a similar time. All of them were kept out of the German squad by one man: Manuel Neuer. The former Schalke youngster racked up a mighty 124 appearances throughout a stellar 15-year international career, but after his side's Euro 2024 quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Spain on home turf in Stuttgart, Neuer hung up the gloves... internationally at least.
Fast forward two years, and plenty has changed, not just in football but in the sporting world as a whole. As the below combat sports podcast explains, plenty more could change as well.
However, one thing that hasn't changed is that, with the FIFA World Cup now less than two months away, the man who retired from international duty two years ago remains Germany's best goalkeeper by a country mile. And online betting sites know it. The latest World Cup odds list the Germans as a 14/1 fringe contender to win the tournament this summer, well behind outright frontrunners Spain (9/2) and second-favourites France (11/2). Had they got Bayern Munich's reliable shot-stopper between the sticks, those odds would surely be shorter.
So, the question now is, can Nagelsmann tempt his country's greatest ever goalkeeper out of retirement for one last crack at the World Cup at the ripe old age of 40? Or will he have to rely on a lesser quality shot-stopper on the grandest stage of them all? Let's take a look at Germany's options, Neuer included.
Neuer Remains the Cream of the Crop
Manuel Neuer's Germany career is second to none. He reached at least the semifinals in each of his first four tournaments as the starting goalkeeper, a run headlined by his leading Germany to World Cup glory in Brazil in 2014. At club level, his resume beggars belief: Two-time Champions League winner, 12-time Bundesliga winner, six-time DFB Pokal winner, over 820 appearances and counting; the list goes on and on. However, there are a couple of asterisks, at least internationally.
There can be no denying that the second half of Neuer's international career was far less successful than the first: back-to-back group stage exits at the World Cup, as well as a second-round exit to rivals England at Euro 2020. We also cannot overlook the fact that he is officially retired from international football, even if he remains the best goalkeeper in Germany at the age of 40. Manager Nagelsmann's biggest task between now and his side's 2026 World Cup opener against Curaçao in Houston on June 14th is simple: coaxing Neuer out of retirement for one last crack at the biggest prize in the game.
Oliver Baumann: The Current Number One
Oliver Baumann was the man tasked with replacing the great Neuer following his retirement. The Hoffenheim man has started 11 of Germany's 18 games since Euro 2024, and while he remains a solid choice, the 35-year-old is still somewhat of a step down from his elite predecessor.
He conceded four goals in two games in last year's UEFA Nations League quarterfinals win against Italy, performances that saw him dropped for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, despite the Barcelona man's sheer lack of game time in Catalonia. He was reinstated as number one throughout World Cup qualifying and rewarded manager Nagelsmann's show of faith by conceding just three goals in six qualifiers, including a run of four straight clean sheets. However, his shipping of three goals in the recent 4-3 win against Switzerland saw questions asked of the Hoffenheim goalkeeper once again.
Should Neuer resist returning to the world stage, Baumann will likely be the man who starts Germany's opener in Houston. But to say that would be of detriment to Die Mannschaft would be an understatement.
The Chasing Pack
Marc-Andre ter Stegen was once thought of as the natural successor to Neuer, but the Bayern Munich man's longevity somehow even managed to surpass that of his presumed replacement. Now aged 33, Ter Stegen lost his starting berth at Barcelona in the build-up to Euro 2024 and has made just ten senior appearances in the last two years. His recent loan move to fellow Spanish side Girona has done little to inspire confidence, with the former Gladbach man making just two appearances since arriving in January. It would be a shock to see him even included in Germany's squad this summer, let alone starting.
Another option is Alexander Nübel; however, he too has his question marks. He was signed by Bayern Munich in the summer of 2020, again to eventually replace veteran Neuer. However, he has been unable to oust the club's iconic number one from his starting berth, and he has spent three of his six years employed by the Bavarians on loan at other teams. He currently finds himself on loan at Stuttgart, and while he will likely be included in Germany's squad this summer, how can he be expected to start ahead of Neuer at the international level if he doesn't do so domestically?