Manuel Neuer has retired from international football for the second time, announcing his decision in the wake of Germany's elimination from the World Cup at the last-32 stage.

Die Mannschaft were knocked out on penalties following a 120-minute stalemate against Paraguay, and Neuer — speaking to broadcaster Sportschau shortly after the defeat — confirmed he would no longer be available for national team selection. He later reinforced that stance with Magenta TV, answering a direct question on the matter with a simple "no" before adding, "It's very bitter to end it like this."

The last survivor of 2014

At 40 years old, Neuer was the only remaining link to Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning squad — the last occasion on which Die Mannschaft won a knockout match at the tournament. His career in the national shirt stretches back to 2009, when he made his debut and went on to displace long-serving No. 1 Jens Lehmann ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

Neuer departs with Germany's fifth-highest caps record, sitting behind Lothar Matthaus, Miroslav Klose, Thomas Muller, and Lukas Podolski. Among his individual honours, the Gelsenkirchen-born goalkeeper was named Germany's Footballer of the Year twice and finished third in the 2014 Ballon d'Or vote.

A second retirement, a second U-turn reversed

The Bayern Munich shot-stopper had originally retired from international duty after Germany were eliminated by Spain at Euro 2024 on home soil. Oliver Baumann stepped in as first choice under manager Julian Nagelsmann during the two-year period that followed, with Neuer insisting he had no intention of returning.

Despite those assurances, Neuer reversed course to come out of retirement for a fifth World Cup campaign, pushing Baumann back to the bench. The decision proved deeply unpopular in Germany, and the shock last-32 defeat to Paraguay has cast a shadow over Nagelsmann's position — even after the 38-year-old head coach signed a contract extension before the tournament began.

Neuer has one season remaining on his contract at Bayern Munich.