Manuel Neuer #1

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Without doubt the most talked-about selection in the World Cup squad. As recently as the spring, there had been no sign that Neuer, who had retired after Euro 2024, would make a return to the national team after all. Then, in early April, the 40-year-old put in a masterclass against Real Madrid in the first leg of Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final. He was man of the match, preserving a 2-1 win with saves and composure, and driving Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior to despair. Just like the old days. Even though he made a mistake in the second leg, hardly anyone doubts that Neuer is a better goalkeeper than Oliver Baumann, who turned 36 at the start of June. “Everyone knows what aura and quality Manu has, what he gives a team,” Julian Nagelsmann said. Whether Nagelsmann’s last-minute decision to recall Neuer (and demote Baumann from No 1) has any effect on the players’ trust in the coach will only become clear in the coming weeks.

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