With the World Cup only a few weeks away, the German national team’s goalkeeping position remains uncertain, prompting former international Stefan Effenberg to offer some guidance to Oliver Baumann.

The big question in German football right now is who will be Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada. Effenberg believes Oliver Baumann should take the initiative in his competition with Manuel Neuer.

“I’m heading into pre-season and then the World Cup with a lot of confidence. He’s shown faith in me. That’s it,” said TSG Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper Baumann to Sky on Saturday afternoon after their 4–0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

However, only hours later, national coach Julian Nagelsmann avoided confirming any decision. Speaking to ZDF Sportstudio, he said, “I maintain my original position that I will speak to the players first. The player is always contacted first; that hasn’t taken place yet.”

Earlier, Sky had reported that Neuer would rejoin the national team after previously retiring from international football following the 2024 European Championship in Germany. It was claimed that Neuer, Nagelsmann, and DFB sporting director Rudi Völler had already agreed on his return.

“There is a fixed date for the squad announcement. If I start making early statements just because there’s public pressure or heated debate in Germany, I’d be reacting emotionally instead of analysing objectively,” Nagelsmann said. “Every player deserves to hear the decision directly from me, and I’m not going to let outside discussions dictate my actions.” He further emphasised that he has “always been very considerate when communicating with players.”

Oliver Kahn, another former German international and goalkeeping legend, has also voiced his opinion on the matter, indicating that Baumann should remain the first-choice keeper.

The ongoing ambiguity around Germany’s goalkeeping situation was discussed on Sport1’s *Doppelpass*, where Effenberg remarked, “If I were in Oliver Baumann’s place, I’d call Julian Nagelsmann right now.” He added, “And then I’d also speak out publicly about it.”

Following Neuer’s solid form and his contract renewal at FC Bayern Munich until 2027, journalist Tobias Holtkamp reported that the veteran keeper is now “available” again for selection—a recent development that has complicated Nagelsmann’s decision-making process.

Oliver Kahn responded to the debate by saying, “Where is all this leading us? In the end, it’s the national coach who decides, not the player. And from what I understood, he said Germany will head into the World Cup with Oliver Baumann as number one.”

Kahn continued his support for Baumann, stating, “He hasn’t done anything wrong. He deserves to be number one.”

Nagelsmann is set to unveil his 26-man squad on Thursday at the DFB Campus in Frankfurt am Main. Until then, he mentioned he will make “62 phone calls” as part of his preparations. He is also expected to wait for the results of Neuer’s MRI scan after the Bayern Munich goalkeeper was substituted in the second half of their 5–1 victory over 1. FC Köln due to calf discomfort.

Neuer had previously retired from the national team after Germany’s quarter-final exit to Spain, finishing with 124 international appearances. Had he continued, the 2026 tournament would have been his fifth World Cup appearance. The Bayern Munich star famously lifted the World Cup with Germany in Brazil in 2014 but experienced major setbacks in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, where the team failed to progress beyond the group stage.