Manuel Neuer probably didn’t have this on his bingo card a year ago. The guy had basically called it quits on the German national team. He was done. Finished. Ready to hang up the gloves and let the next generation deal with the pressure that comes with wearing the No. 1 shirt for one of the most demanding football nations on earth.
But here we are. And here he is. Again.
Neuer stepped onto the pitch for Germany’s second group match against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, and with that appearance, he quietly walked into the record books. That was his 21st World Cup match. That put him past Hugo Lloris, who played 20 games for France at the tournament before retiring from international duty in January 2023.
Lloris called it quits a few weeks after France lost that wild World Cup final to Argentina in Qatar. He walked away with a loser’s medal and presumably no real interest in sticking around for rebuilds or retooling efforts. Good for him. Bad for anyone chasing records.
Neuer is 40 years old now. Forty. Most goalkeepers at that age are either in broadcasting booths or coaching kids on Saturday mornings. But the German is still out there, still starting, still adding to a career that already had him in the conversation for one of the greatest goalkeepers ever before this tournament even started.
How Did We Get Here?
Let’s be real about this. Neuer wasn’t supposed to be back. He had effectively stepped away from the national team after Euro 2024. The plan was to let younger guys take over. But then Germany’s goalkeeping situation got messy. Injuries. Inconsistency. A couple of shaky performances at bad times. The team needed a steady hand and Neuer, apparently, still had the itch.
His first appearance back came in the opening group match. That was his 20th World Cup game, tying him with Lloris. This one pushed him ahead. If he plays in the final group match against Ecuador — and he almost certainly will, assuming his body holds up — that number goes to 22.
Lloris can’t do anything about it now. He’s retired from international football and watching from home. Neuer, meanwhile, is still out there on the grass, barking orders at his defense and making the kind of saves that make you forget he’s in his fourth decade on this planet.
The Catch
Germany still needs to actually get out of the group. They were locked at 0-0 with Côte d’Ivoire at the time of writing, and that result matters. A win would put them in a strong position to advance to the round of 32. A draw or a loss and things get complicated fast. Records don’t mean much if you go home early.
But for now, Neuer owns this one outright. The World Cup appearance record for a goalkeeper belongs to a 40-year-old who wasn’t even supposed to be here. There’s something fitting about that. The old guard just wouldn’t leave.
Can he keep a clean sheet today? We’ll find out soon enough.
Leave a Comment