Manuel Neuer had been retired from the Germany team for two years; Euro 2024, played in his home country, was supposed to be the final chapter of a career story where he tasted absolute glory and crushing disappointment.
But his astounding form for Bayern Munich, paired with a serious injury to rival Marc-André ter Stegen, led Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann to trust him again to be part of the long list of players over 40 years old who will take part in the 2026 World Cup across United States, Mexico and Canada.
The goalkeeper now has a massive opportunity to take his final bow at the tournament where he changed his role forever. And, in the process offer a much better presentation than his last two, in which Die Mannschaft improbably crashed out in the group stage.
Neuer's reign now stretches across 16 years and five World Cups, and throughout he has taught his colleagues that they could be much more than just a shot stopper.
South Africa 2010: Rise, tragedy and opportunity
Neuer had been earmarked as a future great goalkeeper for Germany from an early age, albeit not to the level of transcendence and influence that he would reach over the years. In 2006, at just 20 and in his debut season, he won the tussle against stalwart Frank Rost to become Schalke 04's No. 1 and became a key cog in a side that made progress in European competitions year upon year.
He was supposed to have a long future behind the sticks for his country, particularly after starring in the team that won the Under-21 European Championship in 2009. However, his rise to the senior squad was accelerated by an event as unexpected as it was devastating, after Robert Enke, the would-be starter for the following year's World Cup, took his own life in November. In a twist of fate, Neuer ended up making his home debut with the national team only a week later.
Ahead of the tournament in South Africa, destiny kept turning in favor of the young goalkeeper, when René Adler, another frontrunner for the role, suffered a rib injury that ruled him out. And once he was selected among the 23 squad, Neuer overtook the experienced duo of Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt to start for a team that marked a significant generational turnover, alongside stars like Thomas Müller, Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos and Jérôme Boateng.
His performances in the competition were solid, including an assist for a Miroslav Klose goal during a controversial clash with England, and he ended up repeating the feat of the past edition by reaching the semifinals, where Germany fell to eventual champions Spain in a tight affair.
Brazil 2014: Paradigm shift and coronation
His first World Cup was a resounding success on an individual level. But soon, beyond offering a trusted pair of hands, Neuer began to show the two qualities that would define his career: his bravery to roam far away from his box and act as a sweeper in the last line of defense, and his confidence and technique when playing with his feet.
He was not a pioneer, as there are countless other goalkeepers who showed the same skills, but the dominance the German showed through the years forced an entire generation to catch up or be left behind.
His growth received a boost after Bayern Munich finally signed him, ending a persistent pursuit, in 2011. The move caused a rift with his former club Schalke, to the point where he had to strike a deal with their supporters' group to never kiss the badge of his new team, but once he overcame this issue both would elevate each other to stratospheric heights.
The stint at Bayern began with a bitter taste, losing the Champions League final to Chelsea on their own turf, but Neuer was back with a vengeance the following year as he became central to one of the very best seasons in the history of the Bavarian side, which culminated in a first-ever treble.
That feat came as ideal momentum as he prepared to play a massive part in Germany's 2014 World Cup campaign, emerging as one of the favorites to win their fourth crown. And confirm they did, by overcoming Portugal (in a 4-0 rout), Ghana and United States, putting up a goalkeeping masterclass in the knockout stage against Algeria and France, and demolishing hosts Brazil by inflicting an unforgettable 7-1 scoreline in the semifinals.
Germany emphatically reached their first final in 12 years and Argentina offered fierce resistance, but Mario Götze's extra-time strike gave Joachim Löw's side the coveted world championship. And Neuer was rewarded with the competition's Golden Glove.
Russia 2018: A startling blow
Germany's win in South America represented the culmination of a 15-year development project, but the following years also saw the rise of a trend that dominated German football for decades: an awkward rivalry in goal.
Andreas Köpke and Bodo Illgner's animosity was well-known as they fought for the No. 1 shirt during the 1990s, while competition increased in the 2000s with Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann vying for it. It seemed like Neuer would face no such issues during his early years as a starter, despite Germany's considerable depth in the goalkeeper position, but right after that World Cup an opponent emerged in Ter Stegen.
Germany had a strong showing at Euro 2016, where Neuer kept his place as they reached the semifinal, but it was Ter Stegen, after three spectacular years at treble-winning Barcelona, who was given the responsibility to defend his country's goal at the 2017 Confederations Cup.
Ahead of Russia 2018, Löw was burdened with the question of whether he should keep the core of the World Cup-winning squad or begin with the changing of the guard. Eventually, the manager chose the former, and Neuer was given the added responsibility of skippering the team after the retirement of legend Philipp Lahm. But in one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, Germany endured a nightmare start to the group stage after losing to Mexico and needed a spectacular free kick from Toni Kroos in the dying minutes to salvage a win against Sweden just to keep their hopes alive.
In a showdown against South Korea, Die Mannschaft searched for a goal through all possible means, yet it was Kim Young-gwon who broke the deadlock. What followed was scarcely believable: Germany tried to use Neuer's footwork in their favor by playing him on the edge of the opposite box, becoming the 11th outfield player in the most literal sense possible. But, following a corner, the goalkeeper lost possession and left his goal empty, allowing Son Heung-min to score unopposed. It was the first significant showing that the goalkeeper's high risk, high-benefit style could also have devastating consequences. And Germany crashed out.
Qatar 2022: Rivalry and decline
That group-stage exit, a first for Germany in 80 years, was such a blow that it threatened to end the international careers of legends like Khedira, Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan. And, as the uncertainty persisted, others such as Müller, Boateng and Mats Hummels also lost their place. Neuer remained firm between the sticks though, despite a dip in his performances and Ter Stegen exerting external pressure -- both with his spectacular showings at Barcelona and some media statements that deteriorated the relationship between the two of them.
Ter Stegen's knee injury and resulting surgery, which prevented him from being a part of the Euro 2020 squad, momentarily quelled the controversy, which meant the Bayern man led his team again. However, Die Mannschaft's campaign was once again a disappointment, as it struggled in the group stage -- managing only one win and then bowing out in the round of 16 against England, in a game where they missed countless chances.
Löw, the mastermind behind Germany's 2014 World Cup success, paid for the early exit with his job, but the appointment of former assistant Hansi Flick as his replacement delivered a message of continuity.
His recent success at Bayern, where he managed another treble in 2020, was also a vote of trust for Neuer and the core of his former side to star in the next World Cup in Qatar. And once again, the goalkeeper was responsible for costly and uncharacteristic mistakes, this time against Japan, by dropping a rebound on the feet of Ritsu Doan and failing to guard his near post against Takuma Asano's shot, that confirmed a shocking turnaround for the Samurai Blue.
A creditable draw against Spain and a hard-earned win over Costa Rica were not enough, and Germany had to endure the ignominy of a second straight World Cup where they failed to get out of their group.
If being singled out for the elimination was not enough for Neuer, only a few days after the conclusion of Die Mannschaft's campaign he suffered a tibia and fibula break while skiing on holiday, which set him back for 10 months and seemed to signal the end of his international career.
Ter Stegen was now the definitive No. 1 chosen by new manager Nagelsmann for the games that preceded Euro 2024, which Germany would host, but once again it was the Bayern stalwart who won the tussle in the end to remain in goal for that tournament. Together with a squad full of new faces, the team produced a much more solid showing, and despite faltering in the quarterfinals to eventual champions Spain, the hopes of improving their image at the following World Cup were noticeably raised.
Neuer's international retirement following that event, but now circumstances have seen him called him up yet again to do what he knows best.
He has not missed a single tournament in 16 years and no one could wrestle the No. 1 shirt away from him now. Backed by his enormous experience, success and massive influence in the position, he has been showing other goalkeepers how they should play at the highest level for years. A giant like him could not have asked for a better farewell.