Julian Nagelsmann baffled by constant talk of Manuel Neuer return and reaffirms faith in Germany's current No.1 amid Marc-Andre ter Stegen uncertainty

With Ter Stegen out injured for Barcelona and in danger of being left on the bench for the rest of the season when he returns to full fitness, there are growing concerns around the national team's goalkeeper situation. Oliver Baumann has taken over as the current first-choice, but it has been suggested Bayern Munich veteran Neuer, who retired from Germany duty after Euro 2024, could be called out of retirement to take over for the World Cup. Nagelsmann, however, made it clear he has full confidence in his current options.

"We haven’t lost any of our last ten games because we had a bad goalkeeper," he told RTL. "Accordingly, the discussion is not beneficial – not even for Manu, who needs rest for his good performances at Bayern Munich . As far as I know, Manu has retired, but I'm surprised that we still discuss this every week."

The 38-year-old coach also stated that Germany "don’t have a goalkeeping problem" at present. However, he acknowledged that the picture could change by 2026. "That could be different in the World Cup summer," he admitted, hinting that the situation will depend Ter Stegen’s form and recovery from injury.

Ter Stegen is recovering from back surgery and faces an unclear situation at Barcelona. Nagelsmann has publicly backed Ter Stegen but also warned that Germany’s first-choice keeper must be playing regularly if he is to have a chance of being included in the World Cup squad. The situation raises doubts about whether Ter Stegen will retain his starting role if he spends the rest of the season on the bench.

Meanwhile, Germany’s narrow 1-0 win over Northern Ireland highlighted both resilience and vulnerability. The squad is thin in several areas, with key players like Antonio Rudiger, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz sidelined. The likely starter in goal, 35-year-old Baumann, has just seven caps.

Germany sit atop Group A after their victory in Belfast but face a difficult path to secure World Cup qualification. Their next fixtures will test a squad struggling with injuries, inexperience and constant outside noise about the goalkeeper position. If Ter Stegen cannot regain match sharpness after his return from injury, Nagelsmann may be forced to rely on veteran Baumann or even reconsider bringing Neuer back in 2026, a move that would spark fresh debate.