Julian Nagelsmann has shot himself in the foot: Germany's World Cup is unravelling

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Julian Nagelsmann's decision to reinstate Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as Germany's No.1 is looking worse with each passing game.

The DFB coach sparked a heated debate when he not only brought the 40-year-old back into the fold but even named him Germany's starting goalkeeper despite spending the previous months insisting that Oliver Baumann would be the No.1 at the World Cup.

Neuer had played no part in qualifying, having retired in 2024. What's more, he has repeatedly struggled with niggling injuries ever since he broke his leg in December 2022.

The prevailing sentiment was that Nagelsmann's decision was nothing short of unfair to Baumann. Neither goalkeeper had done anything to suggest that dropping the 36-year-old for Neuer was in any way necessary.

It was a bit of a PR disaster for Nagelsmann. Numerous pundits in Germany suggested that he was taking a completely pointless risk and that it's a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. We're now three games into the tournament, and the pundits were correct.

Nagelsmann's decision has backfired

Even before the first ball was kicked, Neuer's return caused unrest. The 40-year-old had suffered yet another injury at Bayern before the season ended and was not fit to feature in either of Germany's two warm-up games.

It was Baumann between the sticks against Finland and the USA, but Neuer then came in for the tournament opener against Curacao. The team had spent two years building chemistry with one goalkeeper, only to have another play when it mattered.

It's debatable whether Neuer could have done better on Curucao's first-ever World Cup goal, given that it took a wicked deflection, but it wasn't a completely unsaveable hit.

That's been pretty much the story of his tournament so far. He hasn't made any glaring howlers, but he hasn't cut a particularly impressive figure either. His famous "aura," which Nagelsmann cited when he recalled him, has been nonexistent.

Neuer has looked clumsy and quite simply not at the top of his game. His movement, his handling, his communication - everything has become noticeably worse, which is totally understandable because he is 40 years old. But then you have to ask: why is he starting at the World Cup?

The goalkeeper position would not even have been worthy of a conversation had Nagelsmann not needlessly opened this can of worms. He has shot himself in the foot, and this has become particularly evident following Germany's loss to Ecuador on Thursday.

After looking slow to react for Ecuador's first goal, Neuer was at fault for the 2-1 winner by trying to catch a ball he should have punched or palmed away. He has faced seven shots at the tournament and conceded four goals.

Every major media outlet in Germany is now saying exactly the same thing: Nagelsmann's gamble has backfired.

Neuer's former teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger, who found himself embroiled in a racism storm after Germany's win over the Ivory Coast because he suggested that African teams are "unorthodox" and don't care about tactics, is being ridiculed for refusing to criticise his friend.

Schweinsteiger, now a pundit for state broadcaster ARD, was visibly uncomfortable when asked about Neuer and clearly not totally truthful when he described his tournament so far as "good."

The Ecuador game was a dead rubber for Germany. The defeat had no actual impact, but it hammered home that this team can't be considered among the favourites to win the World Cup.

It's not like Ecuador beat a side of reserve players. Nagelsmann refused to meaningfully rotate his side because he wanted the team to build sharpness and chemistry. He didn't even listen to his players, who wanted Baumann to be given a chance to make a World Cup appearance.

Ultimately, the game had the exact opposite effect. The team look broken, and the previously good vibes are no more. The spotlight is now firmly on Neuer: the hero of 2014 is becoming a pariah in 2026 because he couldn't get enough.

Germany will not do anything of note this summer if Neuer can't get his act together.