"He belongs in the national team" – Lothar Matthaüs on Manuel Neuer | OneFootball

After delivering a man of the match display in Bayern Munich's 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night, Lothar Matthaüs heaped praise on goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.  

"This Neuer is world-class, he belongs in the national team. I hope Nagelsmann watches the game,” the record-holding international player declared to Sky Austria.

With Neuer already announcing his decision to retire from the German national team in August 2024, questions remain whether he will be back for the 2026 World Cup.

However, when asked by Sport BILD, Matthäus made it clear that it was more of a wish for Neuer to return to Germany's setup rather than a realistic scenario.

“I would indeed like to see Manuel Neuer in this form at the World Cup. But I also know that won't happen. Julian Nagelsmann won't open that door. And that's why Manuel's words about retiring remain set in stone," he added.

From the DFB's perspective, and also from the coach's, the matter seems to be clearly settled. Julian Nagelsmann apparently isn't planning a comeback for the 2014 World Cup winner.

Neuer himself was even more explicit after the match in the Spanish capital, the 40-year-old left no doubt that his sole focus is currently on the Bavarian giants.

“Should we bring that topic [2026 World Cup] up again now? No, it's important that we won this match at the Bernabéu with FC Bayern and that we try to confirm that in the return leg.

“That's what's crucial, and everything else is irrelevant to me right now. We're not talking about the national team. I've said my piece, everything's relaxed, I'm concentrating on FC Bayern here,” he added.