MUNICH (AP) — Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said Wednesday he is retiring from the national team after 15 years and 124 games. He is staying in club soccer with Bayern Munich.
The 38-year-old Neuer made his debut for Germany in 2009 and won the World Cup in 2014. His last game for the national team was the 2-1 extra-time loss to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals as Germany hosted Euro 2024.
Neuer said he was “tempted” by the prospect of staying on for the 2026 World Cup but decided against it after speaking with family and friends. That could open the door for Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen, who has played for Germany 40 times but never at a major tournament, to take over as starting goalkeeper.
“I feel very good physically and obviously would have been very tempted by the 2026 World Cup in the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico. At the same time I am convinced that now is the right time to take this step and to concentrate fully on FC Bayern Munich in the future,” Neuer said in a statement.
Neuer is the second leading player in the German team to retire from international soccer this week after midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, who captained the team at Euro 2024. He cited fatigue and the pressures of a busy club and international schedule in his statement Monday.
***Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel.