Legendary German footballer Manuel Neuer entered his name in the history books on Saturday (Sunday IST) by becoming the goalkeeper with the most appearances in FIFA World Cup history. Germany’s ongoing Group E match against Ivory Coast at BMO Field in Toronto is Neuer’s 21st FIFA World Cup appearance for his country.
He has now played one more match in football’s biggest tournament than former France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris.
Most FIFA World Cup matches by goalkeepers in FIFA World Cup
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | MATCHES | EDITIONS |
| Manuel Neuer | Germany | 21* | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| Hugo Lloris | France | 20 | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 |
| Sepp Maier | West Germany | 18 | 1970, 1974, 1978 |
| Cláudio Taffarel | Brazil | 18 | 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| Fabien Barthez | France | 17 | 1998, 2002, 2006 |
| Iker Casillas | Spain | 17 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| Fernando Muslera | Uruguay | 17 | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2026 |
| Peter Shilton | England | 17 | 1982, 1986, 1990 |
| Dino Zoff | Italy | 17 | 1974, 1978, 1982 |
Neuer made his FIFA World Cup debut for Germany in 2010 and also represented the four-time champions in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions.
21 – Manuel Neuer bestreitet gegen die Elfenbeinküste sein 21. Spiel bei einer FIFA-Weltmeisterschaft und ist nun der
Torhüter mit den meisten WM-Spielen, er überholt Frankreichs Hugo Lloris (20). Rekordkeeper. pic.twitter.com/QX1dsVwlt5
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) June 20, 2026
Neuer, who is the oldest footballer to represent Germany in a major tournament (the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship), is now the joint-sixth most-capped player in FIFA World Cup history.
Only Lionel Messi, Lothar Matthäus, Miroslav Klose, Paolo Maldini and Cristiano Ronaldo have made more FIFA World Cup appearances than Neuer.
Most matches in FIFA World Cup
| PLAYER | COUNTRY | MATCHES | EDITIONS |
| Lionel Messi | Argentina | 27 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| Lothar Matthäus | West Germany/Germany | 25 | 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998 |
| Miroslav Klose | Germany | 24 | 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 |
| Paolo Maldini | Italy | 23 | 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | 23 | 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| Manuel Neuer | Germany | 21* | 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026 |
| Diego Maradona | Argentina | 21 | 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 |
| Uwe Seeler | West Germany | 21 | 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970 |
| Władysław Żmuda | Poland | 21 | 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986 |
Neuer, who is Germany’s fifth-most-capped player, announced his retirement from international football in 2024 but came out of retirement to play in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
The 40-year-old is set to retire from international football once again after the conclusion of the 48-team tournament being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Neuer confirmed his decision following Germany’s 7-1 win over Curacao in their opening Group E match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
“For me, it is clear that this is my last tournament. I do not plan to be there in two years’ time for the next Euro. In the last few days, I have come to terms with the fact that these are the last games for Germany. But I want to look forward to all the games and not to any goodbye shirts.”
