Bayern Munich legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has retired, and his long-time national team successor in waiting, FC Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen, is out with a long-term injury.
That leaves Germany’s goalkeeping situation in a state of flux. Lately, it has been a battle between VfB Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel (on loan from FC Bayern) and TSG Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann.
“We are evaluating both games, but the performance in the Bundesliga counts more,” Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann explained in comments captured by kicker.de. “There are still a few games until March, a lot can happen — even if I do not expect either of them to collapse significantly.”
Ter Stegen is still the presumptive favorite for the No. 1 jersey by the time the 2026 World Cup rolls around — but as of now it is not clear how soon or in what shape the Barça man will return. As for Baumann and Nübel, Nagelsmann further revealed that one of the two already holds an edge.
But which one? He’s keeping his lips sealed.
“I have a preference, but I won’t reveal it because I want to give both of them the chance to show what they can do,” Nagelsmann explained.
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