Manuel Neuer

At 38 years old, Manuel Neuer has this physical status:

Club career

Neuer appeared on Schalke 04 II from 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, and 2008–09. Neuer, a professional footballer, progressed through every age group at his hometown club, Schalke 04, and then agreed to professional terms in 2005. Neuer did not make any first team appearances during the 2005–06 season. On matchday 2 of the 2006–07 season, he made his Bundesliga debut with Schalke as a replacement for the injured Frank Rost. When Rost was initially disqualified for the match against Bayern Munich, the 20-year-old eventually claimed the starting position. Neuer held a 2–2 draw against the defending champions. During the 2006–07 season, he made 27 league appearances. Despite his youth, he was widely predicted to replace Jens Lehmann in the German national team's future.

Neuer began the 2007–08 season by playing in three different games in the German League Cup. In the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League against Porto on March 5, 2008, he almost single-handedly kept Schalke alive in the game, sending the game to penalties. He saved penalties from Bruno Alves and Lisandro López to help Schalke advance to the quarter-finals. He was nominated for the 2007–08 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year Award, as well as the youngest and only Bundesliga goalkeeper on the list. He was one of only three Bundesliga players to play every minute in the 2007–08 season. He finished the season by making 50 appearances in all sports.

Schalke finished eighth in the league table in 2008-09 season and had dropped out on a Europa League spot. However, Bayern Munich's participation in the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship sparked concern from Bayern Munich, with Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressing an interest in the young goalkeeper. Schalke's current boss, Felix Magath, has however stated that Neuer will play for Schalke in the next season. In November, he was the only German goalkeeper in the UEFA Team of the Year's list of five nominated goalkeepers.

Neuer made 39 appearances in the 2009–10 season.

Neuer was named captain and led the team to its first Champions League semi-final appearance against Manchester United in the 2010-11 season. In his final season with the club, he won the DFB-Pokal, beating MSV Duisburg 5–0. He revealed on April 20th, 2011 that he would not be extending his Schalke deal, which was set to end at the 2011-12 season. Schalke fans were outraged when he left for a rival club. Neuer made 53 appearances on the season.

Neuer moved to Bayern Munich on June 1st, 2011 and began a five-year deal that ran until June 2016. A round-table discussion between Bayern and a group of supporters' representatives took place on July 2nd, 2011. Neuer will be treated as a full member of Bayern Munich, among other things, and should be treated with due respect. In addition, violence against him should reduce. Neuer set the Bayern Munich record for most clean sheets in a row in the first weeks after a 0–0 draw with 1899 Hoffenheim, defeating a 0–0 draw. He surpassed the previous record set by Oliver Kahn.

Neuer saved penalty kicks from both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká and helped Bayern through the 2011–12 Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid on April 25, 2012. Neuer confessed to monitoring Ronaldo's penalties after the game. "I always plan for those situations," Neuer told Bild: "I always prepare myself for these situations." Toni Tapalovi, our goalkeeping coach, told me on his laptop before the game how Ronaldo often takes his penalties. Ronaldo likes to pass the ball low to his left, as shown by this article. I was assured that he would aim for his favorite position in the penalty shoot-out.

Bayern continued to advance to the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea, which culminated in a penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw. Neuer made the third penalty for Bayern and saved the first penalty for Juan Mata, but Munich could not save the remainder of the penalties, losing the trophy 4–3 on penalties in their home stadium, the Allianz Arena. Neuer made 53 appearances in the season's finale.

Neuer began the season by winning the 2012 DFL-Supercup. Neuer kept four clean sheets in a row against both Juventus and Barcelona in the 2012-2013 UEFA Champions League knockout phase. Neuer made eight saves en route to Bayern's fifth Champions League crown in the 2013 Champions League Finals against Borussia Dortmund. Multiple saves from both keepers and Neuer won the duel against Roman Weidenfeller, but only conceded once to a penalty shot from Turklkay Gündo. Neuer concluded the season with 31 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 13 UEFA Champions League appearances, and a German Super Cup appearance.

Neuer began the season by losing in the 2013 DFL-Supercup to Borussia Dortmund. He saved Bayern Munich's last and decisive penalty, allowing them to defeat Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, on August 30. Neuer competed in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals and Raja Casablanca in the final, while Guangzhou Evergrande defeated Guangzhou Evergrande in the semifinal and Raja Casablanca. On January 7, 2014, Neuer was named the 2013 World Goalkeeper of The Year. Bayern defeated Arsenal in the Champions League knockout phase on Sunday, and Neuer saved the penalty from Mesut zl in the first half. Bayern defeated the game 2–0 away from winning the game. Neuer's deal was extended until the summer of 2019. Neuer finished the season with 31 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 12 UEFA Champions League appearances, one UEFA Super Cup appearance, one UEFA Super Cup appearance, and two FIFA Club World Cup appearances for a total of 52 appearances.

Neuer received the Footballer of the Year (Germany) award and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year (UEFA) and finished third in the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Neuer began the season by losing the 2014 DFL-Supercup to Borussia Dortmund. Neuer began on matchday 18, where Bayern defeated Vfl Wolfsburg 4–1. This was his first league match since joining Bayern in 2011, where he had scored four goals in a match. Bayern lost four goals in a match against Wolfsburg on April 4, 2009. Neuer was one of four Bayern players to miss out in a 2–0 penalty shootout loss to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals on Sunday, April 28. Neuer had 32 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 12 UEFA Champions League appearances, and one German Super Cup appearance for a total of 50 appearances.

Neuer started the 2015 DFL-Supercup with a 1-1 draw against VfL Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg won the ensuing shootout. Neuer's deal with Bayern was extended until 2021, as shown by the 20th of April 2021. Neuer closed the season with 34 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 11 UEFA Champions League appearances, and one German Supercup Cup appearance for a total of 51 appearances.

FC Bayern won the title for the first time in three years as a result of FC Bayern's 6–0 victory over Werder Bremen, kick starting Neuer's season with a 2–0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the 2016 DFL-Supercup, and he kept a clean sheet in the Bundesliga opener as FC Bayern defeated Werder Bremen 6–0. In January 2017, he was named into the FIFA Team of the Year alongside fellow German and former Bayern teammate Toni Kroos. In FC Bayern's matches against Arsenal, Neuer conceded twice, while the Bavarians defeated the English team with a 16–2 aggregate in the second round of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League. Neuer was praised for his contribution in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid in the first round, but Bayern lost 1–2 to the Spanish club. He sustained a left foot injury in the second leg that ended his season abruptly, defeating Bayern 4–2 in a tumultuous match. Bayern was the Bundesliga champions at the end of the season. Neuer appeared in 26 Bundesliga matches, four German Cup matches, and nine Champions League matches, in addition to competing in the DFL-Supercup.

Following Philipp Lahm's retirement, Neuer will become the new captain for both Bayern and the German national team on July 19th. Neuer played his first game of the season on Bundesliga matchday 2, after recovering from a foot injury suffered in April during a Champions League match against Real Madrid. Neuer scored 3–0 over Anderlecht in his 100th European appearance in a Champions League match on September 13, 2017 as his team's 100th European appearance in a Champions League match. Neuer would not be released until January 2018 after suffering another fractured foot. After a string of delays in his recovery, he rejoined team training with Bayern Munich on April 20, 2018 after seven months away, although he had begun goalkeeping-specific training in early April. Neuer was called into the matchday squad for the first time since suffering from his injury in the DFB-Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt, but he was an unutil substitute. Neuer concluded the season with three Bundesliga matches and a Champions League match.

Bayern defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 5–0 on August 12, 2018, Neuer captained his team in the first competitive match of the season. Neuer played his first Bundesliga game in 341 days against Bayern on August 24 in a 3–1 victory season opener against Hoffenheim. In a Bundesliga match against Fortuna Düsseldorf on April 14, Neuer sustained a torn muscle fibre in his left calf. Neuer missed six games for Bayern in the closing stages of the season due to injury.

Neuer won his seventh consecutive Bundesliga title on Sunday, finishing two points above Dortmund. Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final, one week after Neuer recovered from injury and won his fifth DFB-Pokal. Neuer concluded the season with 26 Bundesliga matches, 3 German Cup matches, and 8 Champions League matches. Neuer's 2019-20 campaign began with a 2–0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup on August 3rd. Neuer renewed his deal with Bayern on May 21, 2020, retaining him at the club until 2023. Neuer won the Champions League for the second time, his first as Bayern captain, while his side lost 1–0 over PSG. He had been lauded for his work. He finished the season with 33 Bundesliga appearances, six German Cup appearances, and 11 UEFA Champions League appearances.

Neuer saved a one-on-one chance from Sevilla's Youssef En-Nesyri in the 87th minute of the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, which Bayern Munich defeated 2–1 after extra time on September 24. Neuer won the German Super Cup six days later. Neuer won 4–0 over Atlético Madrid in the 2020-20 UEFA Champions League on October 21, 2020, collecting his 200th clean sheet with Bayern in 394 games. His record rivalry outlasted Sepp Maier's (199 clean sheets in 651 games), with only Oliver Kahn (247 clean sheets in 632 matches) ahead of Neuer. Neuer had his 205th clean sheet in 441 matches on August 28, 2021, trouncing Oliver Kahn's record of 204 clean sheets in 557 matches.

Neuer defeated Neuer in his 447th Bundesliga game on October 23, 2021, for his 300th Bundesliga victory. Bayern won the Bundesliga with three games to spare in the 2021–22 season. Neuer's deal with Bayern Munich did not run out until 2024, so he did not complete it until the 2024 season.

International career

Neuer made his Germany under-21 debut against the Netherlands on August 15, 2006, after progressing through the youth teams. In the 4–0 victory over England, he won the 2009 European Under-21 Championship with Germany in Sweden and kept a clean sheet.

Neuer was called up to the senior German squad for a tour of Asia on May 19, 2009. On June 2nd, he made his first appearance on this tour in a match against the UAE. He appeared in the November friendly against the Ivory Coast, which ended in a 2–2 draw. Despite knowing he was to blame for the first goal, Joachim Löw refused to blame him and instead praised him for his efforts.

In November 2009, keeper Robert Enke was promoted to second choice goalkeeper behind René Adler as a result of his death. Adler, on the other hand, sustained a serious rib injury that kept him out of the forthcoming 2010 World Cup; Neuer became Germany's first choice goalkeeper ahead of Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt for the tournament.

Neuer was named Germany's top goalkeeper for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa by Neuer. He only conceded a single goal, a close range shot by Milan Jovanovi in the match against Serbia in the group stages. Miroslav Klose's first goal against England was won 4–1. He assisted him in getting the assist, winning 4–1. Frank Lampard of England had his goal disallowed after his shot hit the crossbar and bounced over the goal line in the same match. Neuer admitted that he suspected it was a legitimate goal but that he carried out a tactic to defuse this. Except for the third-place match against Uruguay, where Hans-Jörg Butt was rewarded with a spot in the starting lineup, he appeared in all of Germany's World Cup matches.

Neuer spent every minute of every match in Germany's qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 2012, helping Germany win ten games out of ten games and top their group. He was praised for his "sensational" performance after Germany's 3–1 victory over Turkey. Hamit Altntop fired a close range volley shot by the end of the game, and Thomas Müller threw the ball into the ground and Thomas Müller, who immediately gave Mario Gómez's assist. Neuer scored his second goal after being put under pressure by Turkish attackers, who fired a precise long range kick to Mario Götze deep in the opponent's half, who then found Müller on the edge of the opponent's penalty box to score. In the so-called "Group of Death" (Group B), Neuer began all three of Germany's matches. He kept a clean sheet against Portugal while still conceding one goal each to the Netherlands and Denmark. Germany defeated Group B in Group B; the only team in the tournament to win all of their group stage games. He made two saves against Portugal, three against the Netherlands, and three against Denmark, and three against Denmark.

Neuer's "sweeper-keeper" playing style distinguished him from other starting goalkeepers in the 2014 World Cup. Neuer's willingness to come out and challenge hostile attackers caused them to miss shots; he was credited with allowing his teammates to press deep into their opponents' half. Neuer's outfield roaming, which had made him the team's "11th man," has been credited to the coaching he received from Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, who had to have him back in the team's "11th man" category.

Neuer had a fantastic result against Algeria in a 2–1 victory over Algeria in extra time in the round of 16, where he had to play as a sweeper-keeper to protect their counter-attacks after keeping clean sheets in group matches against Portugal and the United States. In the 1–0 quarter-final loss to France, he kept his third clean sheet of the World Cup. In his 50th appearance for die Nationalmannschaft, this was his 22nd clean sheet overall. Neuer conceded a late goal as his team defeated Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals.

Neuer was not well tested in the FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina on July 13, but he nevertheless commanded his penalty area well, denying Gonzalo Hird and Rodrigo Palacio's attacking runs that caused them to shoot wide of the net. Neuer punched the ball straight ahead of colliding with Hijack at the edge of the box early in the second half. Despite several good opportunities, including a Higua goal disallowed for offside, Argentina finished the game without a shot on target. Due to a Mario Götze goal in extra time, Germany defeated Argentina 1–0. Neuer received the Golden Glove award for the tournament's best goalkeeper. Neuer also finished the tournament with 244 completed passes, more than outfield players such as Lionel Messi (242), Wesley Sneijder (242), and Thomas Müller (2221).

Neuer was selected for Germany's final 23 man squad for UEFA Euro 2016. Neuer did not concede any goals during Germany's three group games against Ukraine, Poland, and Northern Ireland during the tournament. In the round of 16, against Slovakia, he kept a clean sheet. Neuer finally conceded a goal against Italy from a Leonardo Bonucci penalty kick on July 2nd; he set a new record of not conceding a goal in a major tournament for 557 minutes. Sepp Maier, the country's previous record holder, did not forfeit a goal for 481 minutes. After an extra time saw the game go to a penalty shoot-out, Neuer helped Germany win 6–5 by saving two spot kicks, one from Bonucci. Neuer was named Man of the Match for his efforts.

Neuer was appointed new captain of the national team on September 1, 2016, ahead of the team's departure from international football, Bastian Schweinsteiger's retirement from international football. Neuer was selected in Germany's 27-man preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite the fact that he hadn't played a match since breaking his foot for the second time in September 2017. In a 2–1 friendly loss to Austria in Klagenfurt, Neuer made his first appearance since his injury on June 2nd. Neuer was selected in the final 23-man squad for the World Cup on Thursday. Neuer captained his team for the first time in the World Cup on June 17th, where they lost 1–0 to Mexico in the first match. Neuer made several saves as his team defeated Sweden 2–1 in their second group stage match, which kept the Germans from being knocked out of the World Cup. However, his team was disqualified from the tournament after losing 2–0 to South Korea in their last group stage match.

Neuer kept his international record clean sheet, breaking a record set by Sepp Maier on June 11, 2019 in Germany's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier 8–0 win over Estonia. Neuer was selected for the squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 on May 19th.

In a friendly match against Latvia on June 7, 2021, he earned his 100th cap for the national team, becoming the first German goalkeeper to reach that milestone.

Neuer was investigated by the European Union for wearing a rainbow-colored captain's armband at the Euros to celebrate Pride Month. They later found that making on-field political statements did not breach tournament rules.

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