Who will be Germany’s new No. 1 goalkeeper?

Manuel Neuer retired from international duty after Germany’s early exit from the 2026 World Cup, opening the door for a new No. 1.

Jonas Urbig appears the obvious choice, but Neuer is still the starter at Bayern Munich, which severely limits Urbig’s playing time. If the 23-year-old was Bayern’s first choice, he would likely be Germany’s number one too. As it stands, though, it appears doubtful that Germany’s new coach Jürgen Klopp will even call him up to his first squad. On September 17, he will announce his squad for four UEFA Nations League games against the Netherlands, Greece, and Serbia. And no position in the current Germany team is more up for grabs than goalkeeper.

Oliver Baumann: The automatic Neuer replacement?

Oliver Baumann represents exactly the kind of selfless No. 2 who could be the next No. 1. The Hoffenheim goalkeeper even commendably dealt with the humiliation of being replaced by Neuer just before the World Cup.

Klopp isn’t just tasked with celebrating short-term success with Germany, however. His remit is to bring about lasting change  making Germany favorites for a World Cup and a Euros once again. Oliver Baumann turned 36 this summer. The Bundesliga veteran will be 38 at the next Euros, 40 by the 2030 World Cup. His age might count against a sustainable rebirth of the Germany team.

The Hoffenheim goalkeeper, who has 13 caps, spoke to Bild in the days leading up to the squad announcement about his exchange with Klopp: “Yes, I was in contact with him. He’ll say everything else on Thursday. We’ll see about the rest—that’s for him to handle.”

Ter Stegen: Back in Germany colors via Ajax?

Since Klopp prefers a highly attacking style of play in which all players press high up the field, he might opt for a goalkeeper who can also take on the duties of a field player. Marc-André ter Stegen would fit this profile better than Baumann. Ter Stegen is also two years younger than his competitor, though his career has been hampered by injuries.

After several serious injuries and a legal dispute with Barcelona, ter Stegen has gone on loan to Ajax, improving his chances of returning between the posts for Germany.

“As far as ter Stegen is concerned, I assume he’ll definitely be in the mix,” Lothar Matthäus recently wrote for Sky. “If he continues to perform well in Amsterdam, he’s a candidate for the number one spot.”

Alexander Nübel: Out of the spotlight in Turkey

Alexander Nübel was Germany’s third-string goalkeeper at the World Cup. He had been consistent at Stuttgart but moved to Besiktas this summer, where he has made a strong start. However, former national team goalkeeper Toni Schumacher sees the move as a disadvantage for the 29-year-old.

“His move to Turkey has taken him out of the spotlight,” Schumacher, who also played for Fenerbahce for three years during his playing days, told Bild. “It simply has a positive effect when you play in your own country week after week and thrill the fans with your saves.”

Loris Karius: History with Klopp at Liverpool

A goalkeeper who has never been called up to the Germany team but shares a history with Klopp is Loris Karius.

Karius, who has been at Schalke since January 2025, was at times Klopp’s No. 1 at Liverpool. However, he made two critical mistakes in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid and was subsequently dropped.

Back in the Bundesliga aged 33, Karius is delivering consistent performances and may have played his way back into the spotlight.

“When people associate me with that, it’s a testament to the performance I’m putting in. That’s great,” Karius said recently in an interview with Sky.

Keepers who could play for Germany or elsewhere 

If none of the obvious candidates gets selected, there are a number of other good goalkeepers who might be considered. First among them is Noah Atubolu. The 24-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt keeper, who has Nigerian heritage, was the number one for Germany’s U21s from 2022 to 2025, and was called up to the senior squad once last October.

Freiburg’s Mio Backhaus is another promising talent. The 22-year-old’s mother is from Japan, meaning Backhaus is also eligible to play for Japan. He even played for the Japanese U15 team, but has since progressed through Germany’s youth teams up to the U21 level.

In addition to Atubolu and Backhaus, there are also Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen (28), Stuttgart’s Dennis Seimen (20) and Diant Ramaj (24), who left recently relegated Heidenheim to join Copenhagen.

If Klopp wants to rely on one of the five, it might be worth playing them sooner rather than later in a competitive game. After all, just like Atubolu and Backhaus, the other three are also eligible to play for another country due to their heritage. Dahmen could also play for England, Seimen for Romania, and Ramaj for Kosovo.

Köpke: ‘Develop a young goalkeeper as the No. 1’

“I think they need to develop a young goalkeeper as the No. 1 right now,” Andreas Köpke, the goalkeeper on Germany’s 1996 European championship team, told Bild. 

Germany’s former goalkeeping coach pointed to Bayern’s backup goalkeeper, Urbig, alongside Backhaus and Atubolu — though only as and when Urbig plays regularly at club level.

And, given his standing at Bayern, that’s bound to come down to how long Manuel Neuer chooses to continue to play.

This article was originally written in German.