Manuel Neuer signs one-year contract extension with Bayern Munich
Legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will play into a third decade as a professional footballer with the 40-year-old signing a one-year contract extension with Bayern Munich.
It had been suggested Neuer, who turned 40 on 26 March, may call time on his illustrious career with his previous Bayern contract expiring at the end of the 2025/26 season. However, he will now play on for at least a further 12 months at the club he joined from Schalke in 2011.
"I took my time making this decision and I'm really happy now. Everything's just right here: with this team, we can beat anyone; I enjoy going to Säbener Straße every day and I'm performing to the best of my ability," Neuer said.
"In our goalkeeping team, we stick together and try to keep raising the bar, constantly pushing each other and preparing ourselves as well as possible for the matches."
After rising through the youth academy at Schalke – located in his home town of Gelsenkirchen – Neuer made his first-team debut with the Royal Blues in a 1-0 Bundesliga win over Alemannia Aachen on Matchday 2 of the 2006/07 season.
He went on to make 203 competitive appearances – keeping 80 clean sheets – for Die Knappen. He captained the side in the 2010/11 campaign, leading them to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and a DFB Cup success before joining Bayern on an initial five-year deal in June 2011.
Neuer has racked up 13 Bundesliga titles, five DFB Cups and two UEFA Champions League wins during his career at the Allianz Arena, and has made 597 appearances for Bayern in all competitions.
That total puts him fifth on Bayern's all-time appearance makers' list, 16 games short of Gerd Müller. Two more iconic goalkeepers, Sepp Maier (709) and Oliver Kahn (632), are ahead of him with former teammate Thomas Müller at number one with 756. He also holds the record for Bundesliga clean sheets at 243, and broke Thomas Müller's record of 362 Bundesliga wins during the 2025/26 season.
"Manuel Neuer was one of the best signings in our club's history," commented Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. "With almost 600 appearances for FC Bayern, we are now heading into our 16th season together – that alone says almost everything about his extraordinary importance.
"Manuel has pushed the boundaries of goalkeeping, and even at the age of 40, he continues to surpass himself. People will still be talking about this goalkeeper, this captain and this personality for many years to come."
After making his senior debut for Germany in June 2009, Neuer totalled 124 appearances for his country – the fifth-most ever for the four-time world champions – and was a mainstay of their FIFA World Cup 2014 success in Brazil.
Such was his individual impact that year, he secured a rare podium finish for a goalkeeper in the Ballon d’Or vote as he came in third, and was voted Germany’s Player of the Year for the second time. He also played a central role in Germany’s third-placed finishes at the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and UEFA Euro 2012.
Bayern's reserve goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, 37, has also extended his contract through to 30 June 2027.
Earlier this year, current No.2 Jonas Urbig, 22, signed a four-and-a-half year deal that'll keep him at the club unti summer 2029.
"We have a clear plan for our goalkeeping setup and are implementing it step by step: Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich and Jonas Urbig form a goalkeeping team in which everyone has their own role and which is developing together," explained Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl.
"Manuel and Sven will continue to support Jonas on his journey to becoming the future of FC Bayern. We are very much looking forward to a new season with this perfect line-up."
