Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had a surprise inclusion with 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer making the 26-man German World Cup squad.
Neuer retired from international play after the 2024 European Championship and the Bayern Munich legend said just last month that he did not intend to return for the 2026 World Cup. But he will now make his fifth World Cup appearance as the first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann and Stuttgart's Alexander Nubel.
It was a surprise announcement from Nagelsmann, who is two years younger than Neuer. Baumann, 35, has made more than 500 Bundesliga appearances but has only 11 caps for Germany, compared to Neuer's 124.
Bayern Munich defender Joshua Kimmich will serve as Germany's captain. He will be joined on the team by the likes of Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala and forwards Deniz Undav (Stuttgart) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal).
Musiala made the squad after recovering from a broken leg suffered during the 2025 Club World Cup.
Among the biggest surprises not to make the squad were Robert Andrich, Chris Fuhrich, Niclas Fullkrug and Anton Stach, who all featured in for March internationals. Bayern forward Serge Gnabry will miss the World Cup due to injury, while Karim Adeyemi has also been dealing with an injury.
Germany, who were eliminated in the group stage of the past two World Cups, will play friendlies against Finland in Mainz, Germany, on 31 May and the United States in Chicago on 6 June.
The Germans begin the World Cup Group E campaign against Curacao in Houston on 14 June. They then face Ivory Coast in Toronto on 20 June followed by Ecuador in New Jersey on 25 June.
GERMANY WORLD CUP SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nubel
Defenders: Joshua Kimmich, Nico Schlotterbeck, David Raum, Jonathan Tah, Waldemar Anton, Antonio Rudiger, Nathaniel Brown, Malick Thiaw
Midfielders: Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Lennart Karl, Angelo Stiller, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane, Felix Nmecha, Nadiem Amiri, Pascal Gross
Forwards: Kai Havertz, Deniz Undav, Jamie Leweling, Nick Woltemade, Maximilian Beier
