Julian Nagelsmann finally put down his phone long enough to announce Germany’s final 26-player roster for the 2026 World Cup.Ahead of Thursday’s unveiling, the German coach warned that he had spent the week making “around 62 phone calls” to all the players who made the cut and, more painfully, those who had been overlooked for the final squad.One of the more interesting conversations must have been the talk Nagelsmann had with Oliver Baumann. The Hoffenheim shot-stopper served as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper throughout World Cup qualifying, playing every minute as he presided over four consecutive clean sheets to end the campaign top of the group.Yet, as it was reported on the eve of the official announcement, Nagelsmann has taken the decision to call up Bayern Munich’s custodian Manuel Neuer, who he confirmed would be the new No. 1. The legendary 40-year-old won another league title with the Bavarians while also reaching a Champions League semifinal, extending his lofty standing within the game. However, Neuer has been retired from international soccer for two years, last appearing for Germany at Euro 2024.“Anyone who knows me knows that I didn’t take this decision lightly,” Neuer declared after the tournament on home soil. “I feel very well physically and, of course, the 2026 World Cup ... would also have appealed to me. And yet I came to the decision that now is exactly the right time to end my chapter in the national team.” Clearly, the appeal of the World Cup still exists.Germany 2026 World Cup Squad Confirmed: Full List of PlayersFlorian Wirtz is the face of this young Germany team. | Alexander Hassenstein/Getty ImagesGoalkeepersOliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart)DefensiveWaldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund)Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt)Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion)Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund)Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich)David Raum (RB Leipzig)Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid)Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart)Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich)Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)OffensiveNadiem Amiri (Mainz)Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)Kai Havertz (Arsenal)Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich)Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)Leroy Sané (Galatasaray)Deniz Undav (Stuttgart)Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)Why Manuel Neuer’s Recall Is So ControversialManuel Neuer is still going strong in his 20th season as a professional. | Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesThe overriding issue when it comes to Neuer’s selection revolves around communication—or lack thereof. Nagelsmann was happy to navigate the entire qualification process without hinting at a switch to the renowned sweeper keeper only to spring his arrival on Baumann—and everyone else—a matter of weeks away from the tournament.“The way he communicates is simply a disaster,” former Germany international and Euro 1996 winner Markus Babbel told ran. “This dithering from the very beginning is driving us crazy with our national coach. Because you want clear instructions, and every player feels the same way.”Babbel’s former teammate Matthias Sammer didn’t share the same opinion. “Are we on a leisurely outing or are we in high-performance sports, where even the brutality of such decisions sometimes seems absurd to the people out there at first glance?” the former Ballon d’Or winner asked himself in an interview with Sky Germany.“The goal has to be to have the best goalkeeper at the moment,” Sammer argued. “Manuel Neuer is the best German goalkeeper we have.”“Matthias Sammer is right that it’s not a matter of personal preference, but that the best players have to go to the World Cup,” Babbel conceded. “But nobody can tell me that Nagelsmann only realized last week: ‘Wow, Neuer’s actually in really good form.’”As recently as the week of the announcement, Baumann maintained that he would be his country’s No. 1: “That was my position—or is my position. I’m going there with a lot of confidence.” That may have taken a dent.During the roster announcement, Nagelsmann categorically singled Neuer out as the first choice. “We’re planning with him as our No. 1,” the German boss declared, “knowing that we have a world-class backup option. The decision has been made—and for me, it’s the right one.”“When selecting a team, you try to nominate the greatest number of top players,” Nagelsmann explained. “With goalkeepers, the main task is to nominate the three best. That’s why we decided to ask him [Neuer] if he wanted to play for the national team again.”READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow