Manuel Neuer has been surprisingly recalled to Julian Nagelsmann's Germany squad for the World Cup, with his Bayern Munich team-mate Lennart Karl also included.

Neuer retired from international football following Germany's run to the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and had repeatedly insisted he would not return. 

However, reports in recent weeks had suggested the 40-year-old – who recently signed a new one-year contract with Bayern – had softened that stance.

And on Thursday, it was confirmed that the 2014 World Cup winner will be part of Nagelsmann's 26-man group, seemingly leaving Oliver Baumann to play a back-up role after he served as number one throughout the qualifiers.

Neuer has won 124 caps for Germany, keeping 51 clean sheets and winning 81 of those matches. 

He is one of seven Bayern players included in the squad, alongside Joshua Kimmich – who will wear the captain's armband – Jonathan Tah, Jamal Musiala, Leon Goretzka, Aleksandar Pavlovic and 18-year-old Karl, who only won his first senior caps in March. 

Naglesmann said: "In the past few days, I have felt in the conversations with our players how extremely great the anticipation is for this World Cup. 

"Everyone is eager for the preparations to finally start next week. We have a strong squad that I'm absolutely convinced of. With the support of our fans, we want to play a very good World Cup."

Germany will face Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador in their three Group E matches, and winning that pool could put them on course to face France in the round of 16.

Striker Niclas Fullkrug is among the most notable absentees from the squad, as is Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi.

Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade will likely lead the line, with Stuttgart duo Jamie Leweling and Deniz Undav among their other forward options.

Germany squad: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart); Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt); Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund) Pascal Gross (Brighton), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Nadiem Amiri (Mainz); Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United), Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich).