Germany calls up Neuer to boost World Cup chances

Manuel Neuer, Germany's veteran goalkeeper, has made a surprise return to the national team, coming out of international retirement to join the 26-man World Cup squad, where he will be the number one option ahead of Oliver Baumann, as confirmed by coach Julian Nagelsmann.

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Nagelsmann praised Neuer, stating that "everyone knows the aura and quality Manu has, what he brings to a team," and expressed his plans to have Neuer as the primary goalkeeper, with Joshua Kimmich retaining the captaincy despite Neuer's return.

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Leroy Sane, who currently plays for Galatasaray, has retained his spot in the squad, while Matthias Ginter, a 2014 World Cup winner, failed to make the cut, with Malick Thiaw being preferred in central defence.

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Jonas Urbig, the Bayern goalkeeper, was dropped from the squad after being called up for the March friendlies, but will still travel with the team to help with training during the tournament.

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Jamal Musiala, who missed Germany's March friendlies due to a broken ankle, returns to the squad, and will be joined by a Premier League-heavy attacking contingent, including Kai Havertz, Florian Wirtz, and Nick Woltemade.

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Bayern youngster Lennart Karl, 18, has been called up to a major tournament for the first time, while Serge Gnabry misses out due to a thigh injury, and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is also absent.

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Niclas Fuellkrug and Robert Andrich, recent regulars, were not called up to the squad, which was announced through video snippets on social media, starting with Kimmich as the first confirmed player.

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Germany's World Cup form has been struggling since their 2014 win, with the team crashing out at the group stage in 2018 and 2022, and Neuer's return is seen as a boost to the team's chances.

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Neuer impressed this season for Bayern, winning man-of-the-match honours in the quarter-final victory over Real Madrid, but is currently under an injury cloud due to a recurring calf complaint, which puts his participation in the German Cup final against Stuttgart in doubt.

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Germany will face Finland on May 31 in their final match on home soil before the World Cup, and will then face the United States in Chicago on June 6, with the team being based in North Carolina during the tournament.

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The German squad is grouped in Group C alongside Curacao, the Ivory Coast, and Ecuador, and the team's roster includes goalkeepers Oliver Baumann, Manuel Neuer, and Alexander Nuebel, among others.

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The full Germany squad consists of defenders Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown, Joshua Kimmich, David Raum, Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jonathan Tah, and Malick Thiaw, as well as midfielders Nadiem Amiri, Leon Goretzka, Pascal Gross, Jamie Leweling, Jamal Musiala, Felix Nmecha, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Angelo Stiller.

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The forwards in the squad include Maximilian Beier, Kai Havertz, Lennart Karl, Leroy Sane, Deniz Undav, and Nick Woltemade, who will all be competing for a spot in the starting lineup during the World Cup.