Neuer before World Cup comeback? Matthäus sharply criticizes the DFB

From a sporting perspective, Lothar Matthäus can understand a World Cup comeback by Manuel Neuer. His criticism is mainly directed at the way the DFB is handling the goalkeeper question shortly before the official squad announcement.

Before the nomination of the German World Cup squad, Lothar Matthäus has clearly criticized the DFB's communication regarding the goalkeeper issue. The trigger is the expectation that Manuel Neuer could be planned as number one at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico – even though the association had previously clearly committed to Oliver Baumann for months. National coach Julian Nagelsmann wants to present his 26-man squad on Thursday, May 21, from 1:00 p.m. at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt am Main; the presentation is also to be broadcast live via the DFB's YouTube channel.

The debate is less about Neuer than about the DFB's course

Matthäus does not question Neuer's sporting quality. In his Sky column, the record national player wrote: "From a purely sporting point of view, this consideration is absolutely understandable for me. What I don't like, however, is the way the communication is handled." That is precisely the core of the debate: less about the personnel itself than about how transparently and reliably the association explains its line.

Because the goalkeeper question has long since become an issue of credibility. Nagelsmann had recently avoided a clear public commitment to Neuer and emphasized on ZDF that he first wanted to talk to all the players. At the same time, media information is mounting that the 40-year-old could travel to the World Cup as number one – and thus precisely at a time when public expectation for clarity is high.

Matthäus criticizes the late U-turn

Matthäus is particularly critical of the handling of Oliver Baumann. According to "Bild," Nagelsmann has already called the 35-year-old and informed him that he is planning with Neuer between the posts; Baumann has reportedly assured that he will also be available as a backup keeper. This has not yet been confirmed by the DFB.

Matthäus sees this primarily as a communication problem – and not necessarily a sporting one. Nagelsmann "took a path that may have been right for him, but triggered unnecessary discussions." At the same time, Matthäus personally exonerated the national coach: "I don't personally blame him – the issue concerns the entire DFB. Experienced officials work there. Such situations should have been avoided early on."

The situation is also explosive because the DFB had previously publicly built up Baumann as number one. In a DFB interview, Nagelsmann had said: "The number one will be Oliver Baumann." For Matthäus, that is the benchmark: Anyone who commits themselves so clearly must justify a later change of course particularly thoroughly – especially to fans who expect reliability. In addition, from his point of view, there is a sporting aspect: Baumann showed strong performances in World Cup qualification, which makes a late U-turn even more in need of explanation.

The squad announcement becomes the next test

The fact that the discussion is boiling up shortly before the official nomination increases the pressure on the DFB not only to name names on Thursday, but also to explain decisions in a comprehensible way. The goalkeeper role is a key position in the day-to-day tournament – and that is precisely why clear responsibilities are important, also with regard to possible absences and the hierarchy behind them.

The topic is also getting additional attention due to Neuer's physical situation. In Bayern Munich's Bundesliga home game against 1. FC Köln (5:1), the goalkeeper was substituted in the 60th minute with an injury; the club subsequently spoke of muscular problems in the left calf and that the captain should take it easy for the time being. Neuer himself explained that he did not want to take any risks. In this context, a possible late commitment to him as the World Cup starting keeper seems all the more in need of explanation – not as a judgment of his class, but as a question of risk management.

Matthäus also criticized that Nagelsmann's appearance on "aktuelles sportstudio" "did little to clarify things." For him, the real explosiveness remains: Not whether Neuer can help from a sporting perspective, but why the DFB has apparently changed its line on the goalkeeper question – and why this change was communicated so unclearly just before the World Cup nomination.