HOUSTON — Ahead of Germany’s highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup opening clash against debutant Curaçao this Sunday, head coach Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has made a full recovery from the calf injury he sustained last month, and is fit to start the fixture. At 40 years old, Neuer is set to make history at this tournament: he will notch his fifth World Cup appearance, tying the all-time German record held by legendary former midfielder Lothar Matthäus. He is also the sole remaining player from Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad still active on the national team.
Neuer’s path to this tournament has been unusual. After retiring from international play, he was lured back to the national setup by Nagelsmann nearly two years after his last cap for Germany. Questions over his match fitness lingered after he picked up the left calf injury during Bayern Munich’s final Bundesliga match of the season in late May, forcing him to sit out the German Cup final against Stuttgart due to the muscular issue. But speaking on Saturday night on the eve of the opener, Nagelsmann brushed aside any remaining concerns over Neuer’s condition.
“(He’s) definitely fit enough to start the game and he got better and better,” Nagelsmann told reporters. “He didn’t really have the rhythm, but now he found the rhythm. He played a lot, we trust him a lot and I think … in order to have a good World Cup, we need Manuel in top performance and I think he can bring that.”
Neuer’s return to the national side has already proven to be an invaluable asset beyond his on-pitch contributions, particularly for the squad’s younger, less experienced players. As Germany looks to rebound from back-to-back early group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, the veteran’s leadership has become a cornerstone of the team’s preparations. Bayern Munich teammate and 22-year-old rookie midfielder Aleksandar Pavlović, who is set to make his own World Cup debut this tournament, spoke glowably of Neuer’s influence.
“Manuel is a world class player,” Pavlović said. “He always gives me tips. He helps me on the pitch and it is very important for me. I am very grateful for any tip he gives me and I’m trying to implement any tip he gives me.”
Sunday’s opening fixture will also make World Cup history off the pitch, thanks to the stark contrast between the two sides’ dugouts. Four-time World Cup champion Germany enters the match as the overwhelming favorite against Curaçao, which is competing in its first ever World Cup as the smallest nation to ever qualify for the global tournament. While Curaçao enters the clash as clear underdogs, their head coach Dick Advocaat brings no shortage of elite tournament experience, having previously led the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup and South Korea at the 2006 edition.
At 78 years old, Advocaat will become the oldest head coach in World Cup history when he steps onto the touchline on Sunday. Opposite him, Germany’s 38-year-old Nagelsmann is the youngest head coach participating in this year’s tournament. The 40-year age gap between the two coaches is the largest ever recorded in a World Cup fixture. The two veteran and rookie coaches have nothing but praise for one another ahead of kickoff.
“I think he’s a really cool coach,” Nagelsmann said of Advocaat. “I think it’s really cool and a great compliment for his work. I got to know him a few times and he’s always kind. As a young coach I always can learn from people like him.” When asked if he expected to still be coaching at 78, Nagelsmann laughed and responded, “I like my job, but I hope to do different things with my life at that age.”
Advocaat returned the compliment, noting that Nagelsmann’s rise to the top job of a major national team at such a young age speaks for itself. “He must have something special and he has that otherwise he wouldn’t be the coach of the national team,” Advocaat said. “He’s an excellent coach.”