Manuel Neuer Cleared To Start As Germany Open World Cup Campaign Against Curaçao

Germany head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, has confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will start Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Curaçao after recovering from injury concerns.

Naija News gathered that Manuel Neuer, 40, heads into the tournament without having featured for Germany in nearly two years. The former captain’s last competitive appearance came in a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2024 on July 5, 2024, before he briefly stepped away from international football.

The 2014 World Cup winner missed Germany’s recent warm-up victories over Finland and the United States because of a calf problem, but Nagelsmann said the experienced shot-stopper is now ready to return.

“(He’s) definitely fit enough to start the game, and he got better and better,” Nagelsmann said.

“He didn’t really have the rhythm, but now he has found it. 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.”

Germany, four-time world champions, are overwhelming favourites against Curaçao, who are appearing at the World Cup for the first time. The Caribbean nation has already made history as the smallest country ever to qualify for the tournament.

Despite being clear underdogs, Curaçao arrive with an experienced figure on the touchline. Coach Dick Advocaat previously led the Netherlands at the 1994 World Cup and South Korea in the 2006 edition.

However, progressing to the round of 32 remains a daunting task, with results against Germany, Ecuador and Ivory Coast likely to determine whether their fairytale run can continue.