Manuel Neuer surprised everyone by breaking a little-known FIFA rule during Germany’s big win over Curacao.
Manuel Neuer caught some attention for possibly breaking FIFA’s kit rules during Germany’s World Cup game against Curacao.
The 40-year-old goalkeeper, who made a surprising return to Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad after retiring, played his first match for Germany in 710 days on Sunday. His last game was in the Euro 2024 quarter-final loss to Spain.
People were watching Neuer closely when Nagelsmann picked him to start over Oliver Baumann. But instead of his playing, fans noticed his shirt. One person tweeted, “Why was Neuer allowed to wear a long-sleeve white undershirt visible under his green jersey?” Another said, “It’ll be interesting to see what FIFA decides.”
Before the match, Germany’s kitman gave Neuer a long-sleeved shirt. Neuer usually wears short sleeves, so he ended up cutting the sleeves himself. That choice might cause some issues because FIFA rules say any undergarments visible must match the main color of the jersey and can’t have logos or decoration.
Neuer, who has played 125 times for Germany, has now been part of five World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026). His latest game helped Germany beat Curacao 7-1, tying Lothar Matthaus’ German record.
“That was very special for me,” Neuer said after the game. “I’m really proud to be back playing for the national team. Five World Cups is amazing, and I’m happy to be part of everything. I waited a long time for this and was determined to play. It felt great to be out there with the guys.
“It’s important to start a big tournament well. We played well and scored a lot. The players who came on did a great job and kept pushing for more goals. Now we’ll look at what we can improve for the next games.”
About the goal he let in, Neuer added, “I was ready to save it, but the ball deflected and came too close for me to react. It was just unlucky.”