Manuel Neuer will make his 18th World Cup appearance for Germany against Spain at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Manuel Neuer will make his 18th World Cup appearance for Germany against Spain at the Al Bayt Stadium.
With his 18th cap against Spain on Sunday, Manuel Neuer matched the record for most World Cup appearances by a goalkeeper.
The German keeper is tied with Cláudio Taffarel of Brazil and Sepp Maier of Germany, both of whom have made 18 appearances.
Neuer became the first German goalkeeper to appear in four FIFA World Cups in Germany's opening game against Japan. Germany lost the game 1-2, with Neuer conceding goals in the final minutes.
The goalkeeper made his debut in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Germany advanced to the tournament's semifinals, where it was defeated 1-0 by Spain. It finished third after defeating Uruguay 3-2.
Neuer was a member of Germany's winning team four years later in Brazil.
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Julian Alvarez has already achieved a dream that can give Man City a post-World Cup boost
Julian Alvarez has already realized his footballing ambition, which can only benefit him and Manchester City.
Julian Alvarez has realized his football dream.
Julian Alvarez, 11, needed only a second to respond when asked what his football dream was. Fast forward 11 years, and he has done it.
Alvarez is one of 16 Manchester City players who will represent their countries at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and he is the latest in a long line of Argentinian stars to light up both the Etihad Stadium and the world stage. The difference between Alvarez and players like Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez is that he is not of Lionel Messi's generation; when Alvarez was a child, Messi was already the best player in the world.There's a video online of an adolescent Alvarez saying it's his dream to play in a World Cup, complete with grainy footage and a Club Atletico Calchin jersey to prove its authenticity. When asked who his idol was, he replied: Messi.
With Argentina facing a humiliating group stage exit, Alvarez came off the bench for his second World Cup appearance on Saturday. Messi scored one minute later to put La Albiceleste up 1-0 against Mexico in a must-win game, and Alvarez contributed.As Argentina laboriously constructed what appeared to be yet another dead-end attack, Alvarez made a diagonal run into the penalty area, occupying the two centre-backs. It wasn't exactly a darting run, but it gave Messi a few extra seconds and yards of space at the edge of the area to line up a shot that arrowed into the bottom corner of the goal.
As if that wasn't enough, images of Alvarez wheeling away in celebration alongside his idol will adorn the back pages of newspapers around the world this morning. Such a memorable moment can only boost Alvarez's confidence, which can only benefit City.This season, Alvarez has largely played second fiddle to Erling Haaland, but when he returns from the World Cup, he will see plenty of action in sky blue. As the month leading up to the mid-season break demonstrated, Haaland's fitness cannot be relied on.
Between October 25 and November 9, Alvarez started six consecutive games for City while Haaland was out with a foot injury. In some, he impressed, while in others, he appeared a little raw, which could be attributed to the inevitable - and unfair - comparisons drawn between him and his Norwegian teammate.There is no doubting Alvarez's ability and potential, but while Guardiola has stated that both can play in the same side, it appears that Alvarez will be on the bench more often than not when Haaland is fit. When he does get a chance, whether as a substitute or because Haaland is unavailable, he will have to rely on his confidence as well as his natural ability to help City cope with the absence of a striker who has scored 23 goals in 18 games.
Even if Argentina does not win the World Cup – and based on their performances against Saudi Arabia and Mexico, it is unlikely – Alvarez will return to the Etihad Stadium having fulfilled his dream. That can only be a good thing.
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