Manuel Neuer - biography, stats, age, weight, height

Biography of Manuel Neuer

Manuel Neuer was born in Gelsenkirchen and came through the entire Schalke academy. At a young age, he was already considered a new type of goalkeeper — not only strong on the line but also very confident with the ball at his feet. He established himself in Schalke’s first team during the 2006–2007 season and became club captain by 2010. With Schalke, Neuer won the German Cup and reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

In 2011, Neuer moved to Bayern Munich. The transfer was initially met with hostility from part of the Munich fanbase due to his Schalke background, but he quickly became a key figure in the team. With Bayern, Neuer won two UEFA Champions League titles — in 2013 and 2020 — both as part of treble-winning squads. This is a unique achievement for a goalkeeper.

At the peak of his career, Neuer was not just considered the best goalkeeper in the world — he fundamentally changed the perception of the position. His play far outside the penalty area, ability to start attacks, and support of a high defensive line made the term “sweeper-keeper” almost synonymous with his name. In 2014, he finished 3rd in the Ballon d'Or voting, which is exceptional for a goalkeeper.

Neuer made his debut for the Germany national team in 2009 and became the first-choice goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup. His international peak came at the 2014 World Cup, where Germany won the tournament and Neuer received the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper. After Euro 2024, he retired from international football with 124 caps.

Even after the age of 38, Neuer continued to break records. In 2025, he extended his contract with Bayern until the summer of 2026, and in the 2025–2026 season he continued to play in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, remaining captain and a central figure of the team.

Personal life of Manuel Neuer

Neuer is a rather private person by football standards. He comes from a religious Catholic family, supports social and children’s initiatives in Gelsenkirchen, and has long been involved in charity through the Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation. In 2011, he even won €500,000 for charity on the German version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”.

In his personal life, Neuer was not a tabloid figure for a long time. He was in a relationship with Nina Weiss, and later his partner became handball player Anika Bissel. In March 2024, the couple had a son, Luca, and in July 2025 they held a wedding ceremony in South Tyrol.

In 2022, Neuer publicly revealed that he had undergone three surgeries due to skin cancer on his face. It was a rare moment when he spoke in detail about his health outside of football. Later, he used this experience in awareness projects related to skin protection and sun safety.

Interesting facts about Manuel Neuer

• Neuer is considered the main popularizer of the sweeper-keeper model — a goalkeeper who plays as an additional defender and initiates attacks.
• He is the only goalkeeper in history to be part of two European trebles — with Bayern in 2013 and 2020.
• In 2014, Neuer finished in the top three of the Ballon d'Or alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi — a very rare case for a goalkeeper in the modern era.
• According to the Bundesliga, Neuer holds the record for clean sheets and became the fastest player to reach 100 clean sheets in the German championship.
• After Euro 2024, he ended his international career with 124 matches and 51 clean sheets — one of the strongest international goalkeeper résumés in Germany’s history.

Statistics of Manuel Neuer

Club statistics — total career

Statistics by competitions

International statistics

Main tournaments with national team

Main team achievements

Individual achievements — main

Current records and milestones

Controversies involving Manuel Neuer

Neuer has had relatively few major scandals in his career — compared to most superstars, he appears disciplined and reserved. However, there have still been several notable episodes.

The first major conflict occurred in 2011 after his move from Schalke to Bayern Munich. Part of the Munich fanbase initially reacted negatively to the transfer, and the club even had to hold a special meeting with supporters to ease tensions. Formally, it was not a personal scandal involving Neuer, but the story was very high-profile in Germany.

In December 2022, Neuer faced heavy criticism after a skiing injury. He broke his leg while skiing after the World Cup, missed the rest of the season, and German media debated not only the incident itself but also whether such a risk was appropriate for Bayern’s captain.

At Euro 2020, UEFA investigated Neuer over a rainbow captain’s armband worn during Pride month. The investigation was quickly closed with no rule violations found, but the media attention around the episode was significant.

In December 2024, Neuer received the first direct red card of his professional career — in a German Cup match against Bayer, he fouled Jeremie Frimpong outside the penalty area. For a goalkeeper with such a reputation and more than 20 seasons at the top level, it was an extremely unusual and widely discussed moment.