Julian Nagelsmann has taken the biggest selection question out of Germany's World Cup opener. Manuel Neuer will start against Curaçao, and the 40-year-old is set for his first appearance for Germany in 710 days. It turns the opener in Houston into a comeback story as much as a routine first game.
Why Nagelsmann has backed Neuer
Nagelsmann did not dress it up. “All the players are fit and Manu will start,” he said. He also made clear that the first match is about more than reputation, adding: “You never win a match just because you're favorites. We will win a match only if we produce a perfect performance.”
That feels like the right read on Germany's situation. Their last five World Cup matches in the curated sample include only one win, three defeats and a draw, and the squad is still carrying the memory of the 2022 opening loss to Japan. Nagelsmann wants the three points first, confidence second, which is sensible given how much the tournament has already weighed on this group.
Joshua Kimmich has put the emotional side of the campaign in plain terms. “We want to make Germany proud again. That's our biggest goal,” he said. He also linked this tournament to the mood of 2006, when the country felt lifted by the home World Cup.
Lothar Matthäus has set a tougher edge around the same tournament. He said Nagelsmann should quit if Germany win the World Cup, and also that he would have to quit if they are eliminated in the preliminary round. That is a hard line, but the underlying point is hard to dismiss. Germany cannot hide behind name value if the performances are flat.
The opener should still be manageable. Matt Law said Germany should beat Curaçao, though he also expects them to struggle later against stronger opposition. Kai Havertz's 22 goals in 58 Germany appearances remain the clearest centre-forward reference point in the squad, which says something about the debate around their attacking options.
For now, the headline is simpler than the noise around it. Neuer is back, Nagelsmann has confirmed the call, and Germany's tournament starts with a 40-year-old goalkeeper trying to steady a team that needs a clean beginning in Houston.
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