Manuel Neuer continues to rewrite the record books, and this time, he has done it simply by stepping onto the pitch.
The Bayern Munich captain has become the oldest player ever to appear for the club in a Bundesliga match, achieving the milestone against Mainz. It is another remarkable achievement in a career that has already delivered just about every individual and collective honor imaginable.
Neuer has been a fixture between the posts for Bayern Munich since arriving from Schalke in 2011, establishing himself as one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history. He has won multiple Bundesliga titles, Champions League trophies, and countless other honors while fundamentally changing expectations for the modern goalkeeper.
Of course, Neuer has not exactly been taking the scenic route toward retirement. Even as the years have added up, his ambition, competitive edge, and desire to remain Bayern Munich’s undisputed number one have remained evident.
However, not even Neuer could escape the milestone without an issue. In the 40th minute, Nadiem Amiri’s free kick resulted in a bizarre sequence, which led to Mainz momentarily tying the match at 1-1.
Amiri’s delivery glanced off the head of Tah, which led an airborne Neuer to not get a great touch on the ball. It deflected to Jae-sung Lee, whose header knotted the match at 1-1 — or at least that is what we thought. Neuer signaled for a sub and started to grab at his foot, which the Bayern Munich physios came out to look at.
Ultimately, Neuer had to leave the match, but Lee’s goal was ruled offside by VAR in a very debatable call. Jonas Urbig replaced Neuer.
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