Germany national team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. [Getty Images]
Germany national team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. [Getty Images]

Manuel Neuer, a living legend of German football, announced his second retirement from the national team after Germany failed to advance past the round of 32 at the 2026 North America World Cup, saying the national team "has always been an honor" for him.

Writing on Instagram on Wednesday, Neuer said the early World Cup exit was "very disappointing." "We clearly fell short of expectations and should have gone further in this tournament," he wrote. "This outcome hurts me deeply."

Despite being 40 years old, Neuer started every match for Germany at the tournament — all three group-stage games and the round-of-32 clash — demonstrating that his presence between the posts remained formidable.

Germany finished Group E in first place with two wins and a loss, routing Curaçao 7-0, beating Ivory Coast 2-1, and falling to Ecuador 1-2. In the round of 32, however, they drew 1-1 with Paraguay and were eliminated on penalties, losing the shootout 3-4. Neuer saved Paraguay's fifth penalty kick, but a string of misses by German takers proved decisive.

Neuer had originally retired from international duty after UEFA Euro 2024, but reversed that decision ahead of this World Cup at the earnest request of head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

On that choice, Neuer said he returned "with the will to play for Germany one more time." "Wearing the national team jersey has always given me immense pride, and I wanted to share my four World Cup experiences with the younger players, both on and off the pitch," he said. "Even though it ended bitterly, I do not regret the decision to come back for even a single second."

He added: "The disappointment I feel right now is hard to put into words, but what remains is a deep sense of gratitude. Thank you for all the support you have shown me up to now and throughout this tournament."


betterj@heraldcorp.com