Germany's Goalkeeping Future: Matthäus' Top Candidates
Lothar Matthäus has seen too many goalkeepers, too many generations, to talk lightly about Germany’s number one shirt. When he names names, it carries weight.
In his Sky column, the record international laid out a new hierarchy for the post-Manuel Neuer era – and it starts with a surprise from Amsterdam.
Ter Stegen: The nearly man with one last shot
Marc-André ter Stegen, now at Ajax on loan from Barcelona, tops Matthäus’ list of candidates. The 34-year-old has lived most of his international career in Neuer’s shadow, the eternal number two who never walked out as Germany’s first-choice keeper at a major tournament.
Matthäus wrote that he assumes ter Stegen “will definitely be involved” under new national coach Jürgen Klopp, and went a step further: if the former Barcelona regular keeps his level in Amsterdam, he is “a candidate for the number one spot in the Germany goal.”
That line matters. Ter Stegen had once been earmarked as Germany’s starter for the 2026 World Cup, only for Neuer to come out of DFB retirement and reclaim the gloves. Then came more physical setbacks. His body refused to cooperate, he slipped down the pecking order at Barcelona, and a lengthy back saga ended with surgery and a loan to Girona. A thigh injury stalled him there as well.
Now he is trying to rebuild at Ajax. Eleven goals conceded in seven matches, plus a mistake in the Conference League play-offs, underline that this is still a work in progress. His Barcelona contract runs until 2028, but his future there is effectively over. For Germany, though, the door is not.
The catch? After years as an understudy, ter Stegen is unlikely to accept another tournament as a back-up. For him, another shot at the Germany goal only makes sense if it comes with a clear promise: you start.
Urbig: The long-term project behind Neuer
Matthäus, however, is already looking beyond the immediate battle. Long term, he sees Bayern Munich’s Jonas Urbig as Germany’s future number one.
Urbig currently serves as Neuer’s understudy in what is widely expected to be the veteran’s final season. For Matthäus, the DFB must “build up” the Bayern keeper so that Germany finally has a clearly defined first choice for the next generation of tournaments.
In terms of age, Urbig is the one who can cover the most major competitions. That is the strategic play: let the kid learn behind Neuer now, then hand him the gloves when the legend steps aside for good.
Karius: From Kyiv nightmare to DFB redemption?
If there is a romantic subplot in this goalkeeping debate, it belongs to Loris Karius.
Matthäus believes the Schalke 04 keeper has “a good chance” of a call-up – on one condition: that selection is based on performance. By that measure, Karius has forced his way back into the conversation.
“Last season he was outstanding in goal and played a major part in Schalke’s promotion,” Matthäus noted. Karius then backed it up after promotion, with a standout display in the 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich, a match that reminded many of the talent that once took him to Liverpool.
Matthäus added that “the past he experienced with Klopp in Liverpool should stay in the drawer,” a pointed reference to the 2018 Champions League final in Kyiv. That night, Karius’ errors against Real Madrid effectively cost Liverpool the trophy and reshaped his career.
Loans to Besiktas and Union Berlin followed, before he finally left Liverpool on a free in 2022. His relationship with Klopp had cooled during his time in Istanbul, according to reports, and he never played for the German coach again.
In January 2025, he signed for Schalke. It has proved a turning point for everyone involved. Schalke gained a leader in goal; Karius found a club willing to trust him again. Now, under the same Klopp whose Liverpool era he never truly recovered from, a DFB comeback suddenly lies within reach.
The story writes itself. The question is whether Klopp wants to turn the page.
The wider field: A crowded race for the gloves
Matthäus estimates that seven or eight keepers are realistically in contention for a Germany call-up. Alongside ter Stegen, Urbig and Karius, he also mentioned Eintracht Frankfurt’s Noah Atubolu as part of the core group.
Beyond that quartet, several names have been circulating in recent discussions: Alexander Nübel, currently at Besiktas; Finn Dahmen at Augsburg; Mio Backhaus at Freiburg; and Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann.
It is a long list, but not a settled one. Form, fitness and Klopp’s tactical preferences will trim it down quickly.
Klopp’s first squad: XXL and under the microscope
The timing of this debate is no accident. Klopp’s debut as Germany coach comes with an away trip to the Netherlands in the Nations League, a fixture loaded with history and scrutiny.
Reports suggest he is considering an XXL squad for the start of his era, casting the net wide before he begins to make hard decisions. After the opener in the Netherlands, Germany face Greece twice and host Serbia to complete a four-match international window.
Somewhere in that stretch, the outline of a new goalkeeping hierarchy will emerge. Does Klopp lean on ter Stegen’s experience? Fast-track Urbig as the future? Reward Karius’ resurgence? Or spring a surprise from the chasing pack?
For years, the debate started and ended with one name: Neuer. Now, for the first time in a generation, the gloves are truly up for grabs.
