Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was handed a surprise recall to Germany’s 26-man World Cup squad on Thursday, coming out of international retirement to play in the tournament for a fifth time.

The 40-year-old retired from international duty in 2024 but coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed the World Cup winner will be the number one option ahead of Oliver Baumann at this summer’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Everyone knows the aura and quality Manu has, what he brings to a team,” Nagelsmann said at a squad announcement in Frankfurt.

“We’re planning with him as our number one.”

Joshua Kimmich will retain the captaincy despite the long-time skipper’s return.

Former Manchester City and Bayern winger Leroy Sane, now at Galatasaray, has retained his spot.

Bayern Munich’s Neuer is the only remaining member of the squad that won the World Cup in 2014.

Matthias Ginter, another 2014 World Cup winner who was instrumental in Freiburg’s run to the Europa League final, failed to make the cut, with Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw preferred in central defence.

Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig was dropped from the squad after being called up for the March friendlies, but will travel with the side to help in training during the tournament.

Munich’s Jamal Musiala returns to the squad after missing Germany’s March friendlies as he recovered from a broken ankle.

Nagelsmann named a Premier League-heavy attacking contingent, which includes freshly minted English Premier League champion Kai Havertz of Arsenal, Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade.

Bayern youngster Lennart Karl, 18, was also called up to a major tournament for the first time.

Germany’s World Cup struggles

As expected, Bayern forward Serge Gnabry misses out with a thigh injury, as does Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Recent regulars Niclas Fuellkrug and Robert Andrich were not called up.

The German FA (DFB) began sharing video snippets announcing the squad player by player on social media early on Thursday, with Kimmich the first confirmed.

Neuer was the standout player as Germany won their fourth World Cup in 2014, but since then the team’s form has plummeted.

Germany crashed out at the World Cup group stage in 2018 for the first time since 1938 and repeated the feat four years later in Qatar.

The Germans have not fared much better in other international tournaments. Since making the semi-finals of Euro 2016, Germany have won just one knockout game in the tournament— a 2-0 success against Denmark on home soil at Euro 2024.

Neuer has impressed this season for Bayern, winning man-of-the-match honours in the quarter-final victory over Real Madrid, but comes into the tournament under an injury cloud due to a recurring calf complaint.

He is in doubt for Saturday’s German Cup final against Stuttgart in Berlin.

The Germans will have one final match on home soil, against Finland on May 31, before facing World Cup co-hosts the United States in Chicago on June 6.

Germany will be based in North Carolina during the tournament.

They are in Group C alongside debutants Curacao, the Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

Germany squad:

Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nuebel (Stuttgart)

Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle/ENG)

Midfielders: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton and Hove Albion/ENG), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool/ENG)

Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal/ENG), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray/TUR), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade

LeBron James’ eighth season in Los Angeles ended with a four-game sweep in the Western Conference semifinals at the hands of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers’ playoff exit fueled more questions about James’ NBA future and a potential 24th season.

James remains undecided about his basketball future, but he did reveal plans to take time with his family before making any decision. “I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” James said on May 11. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then obviously when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

As speculation about his future intensifies, James’ name has been linked to the Lakers, Warriors and even a potential return to Cleveland, where his storied career began.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

If James ultimately did return to his native Ohio, it would mark his third stint with the Cavaliers. He reunited with the team in 2014 after a four-year run with the Miami Heat, bringing Cleveland its first NBA title in 2016.

The Cavaliers dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the New York Knicks on Tuesday, but James still appeared to hint at a potential offseason destination on social media.

LEBRON JAMES NEXT TEAM ODDS: LAKERS, CAVALIERS, RETIREMENT IN MIX

James reportedly liked an Instagram post calling for a return to Cleveland.

Even if James wants a return to Cleveland, the Cavaliers would face major financial obstacles in making it happen. The 41-year-old would likely need to take a sizable pay cut, assuming the team could work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a timeout against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of a preseason NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Cavaliers already carry several sizable contracts on their roster, with star guard Donovan Mitchell and center Evan Mobley both scheduled to earn more than $50 million annually next season. James Harden could also exercise his $42.3 million player option, while forward Jarrett Allen is projected to count roughly $28 million against the salary cap next season.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2025. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists during the 2025-26 regular season.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Shedeur Sanders’ new head coach likes what he’s seen from the quarterback heading into his second NFL season with the Cleveland Browns.

Todd Monken has been peppered with questions about his quarterbacks depth chart since taking the Browns’ head coaching job, which Kevin Stefanski used to have with the franchise.

Sanders, whom the Browns took in the fifth round of last year’s NFL Draft, is usually in those questions, as media and fans alike are curious what’s in store for him after closing out the 2025 campaign as the team’s starting quarterback. However, a new coach means new thinking about every position.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Monken, though, spoke to Sanders’ development on Wednesday, where he said he’s seeing a player who has already “come a long way.”

“I think Shedeur’s come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts. I think he’s really, really come a long way,” Monken told reporters, via ESPN.

BROWNS GM ANDREW BERRY WON’T COMMIT TO SHEDEUR SANDERS AS 2026 STARTER DESPITE ROOKIE’S PROGRESS

After the Browns went with Joe Flacco to start the season, then Dillon Gabriel when Flacco was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanders finally got a shot against the Las Vegas Raiders. He won his first-ever start in the NFL, and Stefanski named him starter the remainder of the season.

But Sanders and Deshaun Watson, who’s back from injury heading into 2026, have continued to take split first-team reps during team drills at the Browns’ second OTA practice.

Head coach Todd Monken of the Cleveland Browns looks on during a voluntary veteran minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, on April 21, 2026. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Watson, whose tenure in Cleveland has been the exact opposite of what the team had hoped for when they traded for and signed him to a massive contract in 2022. It was a fully guaranteed $230 million over five years, but he tore his Achilles in October 2024 and didn’t play at all in 2025.

Still, back on the gridiron, Monken said that “Deshaun’s athleticism shows up.”

“Obviously he’s had that, but he’s had injuries that have set him back. I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise, but it’s exciting to see – it’s a weapon for him. It’s one of his superpowers, his athleticism.”

The Browns still have Gabriel, as well as rookie Taylen Green, on their depth chart ahead of the season. But it’s clear the competition starts with Watson and Sanders with training camp set for July.

Monken won’t be rushing to any conclusion at the position, but he does wish to name a starter by the beginning of training camp.

Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“You’d love to have it at every position at the end of spring, but you can’t guarantee that,” Monken said.

Until then, Sanders and the rest of the Browns’ roster will look to impress their new coach.  

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.