Neuer returns to national team? Legendary former Bayern goalkeeper rages: "We look ahead"

Manuel Neuer is returning to the German national team? Marc-André ter Stegen’s injury has opened the debate again just months before the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Bayern Munich and Germany legend Sepp Maier does not even want to hear about it, and in an interview with Sport1 he did not mince words commenting on the situation.

“This whole thing is a little bit’ annoying. Whenever something happens, everyone immediately calls Manu. Although this shows the’importance he has had and still has, it does not help the current team or its development”, Maier explained.

The 1974 world champion of the world championship.

The 1974 world champion categorically ruled out a return to the DFB for Neuer: “Has the technical commissioner said anything about that? I don&#8217t think so. It’s time to stop speculating about his return. We have to look ahead”.

“The team needs calm, confidence and clarity. Oliver Baumann is our number one, and there are other good goalkeepers behind him. Manuel Neuer remains an outstanding player, but he is no longer between the German goal posts”.

Ter Stegen&#8217s injury is a great loss: “But we are not helpless. Germany still has good goalkeepers. The key thing is that we are now united behind the new number one and do not reopen old wounds. Only in this way can we succeed”.

Maier dedicated a thought to ter Stegen: “I feel deep sorrow for ter Stegen personally, because he has worked for a long time to achieve this role. At FC Girona he would have played as a starter, and he deserved the World Cup because he has been playing at a high level for years. But we should not act as if everything has to fall apart because of this”. Ter Stegen became the number one goalkeeper for the German national team after Neuer’s farewell in 2024.