Despite being ineligible to play, Julian Nagelsmann is still expected to include Jonas Urbig in Germany's World Cup squad

Multiple reports confirm that Manuel Neuer will return to the DFB squad and start the tournament as first-choice goalkeeper—provided he is fit. In the final Bundesliga match against 1. FC Köln, the 40-year-old was substituted because of muscle problems in his left calf, and his participation in Saturday's DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart remains uncertain. 

As a result, previous No. 1 Oliver Baumann has been demoted to backup, a decision Nagelsmann is said to have conveyed to him in a private conversation.

Nübel is now set to occupy the third goalkeeper slot in the Bayern squad, despite his complicated relationship with Neuer. He arrived at the club on a free transfer in 2020 as the designated backup, yet never saw game time behind the veteran captain. Reports also suggest that their personal rapport was less than ideal. 

From 2021 to 2023 he was loaned to AS Monaco, and since then he has excelled at Stuttgart, where his form earned him a place in the national team. His spell at VfB is expected to end this summer, yet Bayern's hierarchy has recently ruled out a return to Munich, where he remains under contract until 2030. What happens next for Nübel after the World Cup remains unclear. 

Urbig joined Bayern in January 2025, built a strong rapport with Neuer and made 19 appearances this season, partly thanks to the captain's injury layoffs. Reports claim that Neuer, now back in the fold, has lobbied for Urbig to be part of the World Cup squad. Urbig is seen as Neuer's long-term successor at the club and, by extension, a future Germany number one.