Neuer hints 2026-27 Bayern campaign could be his final season

Abdullateef Fowewe

Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer has suggested that the 2026-27 campaign could be his last with the German champions, despite having a contract that runs until 2027.

The 40-year-old made the admission after Bayern’s 2-1 Supercup victory over Borussia Dortmund, saying he intends to savour the season before making a final decision on his future.

“It’s time to enjoy this season and then we will see. But could be my last one, yes,” Neuer said.

Neuer, who reportedly came close to retirement last summer, has signalled that he is unlikely to extend his Bayern stay beyond the end of his current deal.

The club are already preparing for the future, with Jonas Urbig viewed as a potential long-term successor to the veteran goalkeeper.

The Bayern skipper has been at the club since joining from Schalke in 2011 and has become one of the defining figures of its modern era.

He has helped the Bavarians win multiple Bundesliga titles, two Champions League crowns and the 2020 sextuple, while also captaining the side through a sustained period of domestic dominance.

Neuer’s standing extends beyond Bayern.

He won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and was awarded the tournament’s Golden Glove, while his proactive, ball-playing approach helped redefine the modern “sweeper-keeper” role.

If this proves to be Neuer’s final season in Munich, Bayern will be bidding farewell to a goalkeeper widely regarded among the greatest of all time and a captain whose legacy includes some of the club’s most celebrated European triumphs.