Football expert Lothar Matthäus believes a potential return to the national team for goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at the 2026 World Cup remains a possibility. “The best players should play and Manu has shown at the Club World Cup that he hasn’t lost any of his ability” Matthäus told “Kicker” magazine. He highlighted Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen as Germany’s outstanding goalkeepers, noting that while other options are capable, they may not be sufficient to contend for a World Cup title.
Should both Neuer and ter Stegen be unavailable or unwilling to participate, the record international player stated he would actively pursue Bernd Leno. “He has gained a lot of experience in the Premier League and is one of the best there” he explained.
Matthäus expressed concerns regarding the current defensive setup, suggesting a systemic shift is needed. “Jonathan Tah has performed best centrally in a three-man defense. Anton is familiar with this from Dortmund and Stuttgart, Schlotterbeck fits on the left and Rüdiger on the right. This would be a solid foundation; a holding midfielder wouldn’t be necessary, though the wing-backs would need to be more offensively inclined” he stated.
National team coach Julian Nagelsmann has numerous options at his disposal. Matthäus anticipates Joshua Kimmich continuing to play in a central midfield role under Nagelsmann’s leadership. “We need the few players with leadership qualities in the center, not on the flanks” he asserted. He firmly believes Kimmich’s presence in the midfield is a positive development. “He needs to distribute the balls. It’s good that Nagelsmann has changed his opinion on this – it’s not a weakness, quite the opposite”.