Bayern Munich star Manuel Neuer made the tough decision to retire from international football and turn his full focus to his health and club career.
Almost immediately, the German national team was struck with a devastating blow when Neuer’s successor — FC Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen — suffered a major knee injury and will miss the next eight months.
Speculation already has mounted on whether or not Neuer will consider returning to Germany, but Bayern Munich sporting director Christophe Freund indicated that he was not sure if that kind of move was in the cards for the goalkeeper.
“It’s his personal decision. He’s very happy, is in good form and hopefully now fit again. We haven’t spoken about it,” Freund said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
The decision for Neuer might be more difficult if the World Cup was this summer, but 2026 still seems so far away — maybe even far enough out for Neuer to think staying retired might be the best option for his career.
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