Captain of Bayern Munich, Manuel Neuer, has expressed that he has “no regrets” following his announcement to retire from international football for the second time, catalyzed by Germany’s “very painful” exit from the World Cup.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper initially stepped away from the national team after the 2024 European Championship but later decided to play once more in the 2026 World Cup.
He confirmed his retirement again on Tuesday after a disheartening defeat to Paraguay, where Germany was eliminated after a 4-3 penalty shootout loss in the round of 32.
Neuer shared on Instagram: “It has always been an honour!”
“The early exit from the World Cup is extremely disappointing. We clearly fell short of our expectations and should have advanced further in this tournament. This conclusion is very painful.”
“I made a conscious decision to represent Germany one more time. Firstly, because wearing the national team jersey has always brought me immense pride. Secondly, at 40 years old and with the experience from four World Cups, I wanted to support the younger players both on and off the field to contribute to German football. Despite the bitter ending, I do not regret this decision at all.”
“My disappointment is beyond words, but I also feel immense gratitude. Thank you for all your support throughout the years and during this tournament.”