Germany's Goalkeeper Battle: Matthäus' Top Picks

Lothar Matthäus has never been shy about making big calls. This time, Germany’s record international has gone straight for the position that will define Jürgen Klopp’s new era: the goalkeeper’s jersey.

In his Sky column, Matthäus laid out a four-man core and a wider pool of contenders. At the heart of it all stands a familiar name in an unfamiliar place.

Ter Stegen: The nearly man of Germany’s goal

Marc-André ter Stegen, now at Ajax on loan, is again in the frame. Matthäus believes “he will definitely be involved” and went as far as calling him a candidate for the number one spot – if he keeps performing in Amsterdam.

That caveat matters. Ter Stegen is 34, has endured a string of injuries, and despite his stature has never started a major tournament as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper. For years he lived in Manuel Neuer’s shadow. When Neuer first stepped away from the national team, ter Stegen finally looked set to inherit the shirt for the 2026 World Cup.

Then Neuer returned. Ter Stegen’s body faltered. His standing at Barcelona slipped.

Back problems, a lengthy saga, and a back operation pushed him out of the Camp Nou picture. A loan to Girona followed last winter, only for a thigh injury to interrupt his rhythm again. This summer he moved to Ajax until the end of the season, with his Barcelona contract still running to 2028 but with no realistic future there.

The numbers so far are mixed: 11 goals conceded in seven matches, including an error in the Conference League play-offs. For a keeper of his pedigree, that is not the kind of form that forces a national coach’s hand. And for ter Stegen, another stint with Germany only truly makes sense if it comes with a clear promise: he wants the starting role, not another tournament as an eternal understudy.

Urbig: Bayern’s apprentice and Germany’s long game

Matthäus is thinking beyond the next window. Long term, he sees Bayern Munich’s Jonas Urbig as the man to anchor Germany’s goal.

Urbig, currently Neuer’s understudy in what is widely expected to be Neuer’s final year, represents the DFB’s succession plan in Matthäus’ eyes. Germany, he argued, must “build up” Urbig so that future tournaments have a clear, undisputed number one.

Age is the key factor. Urbig is young enough to span multiple cycles, to be the constant in an evolving side. For Matthäus, he is the one who can play in the most tournaments. That is the kind of horizon Germany have lacked in goal since Neuer’s prime.

Karius: From Kyiv trauma to Schalke revival

Then comes the most intriguing name in the list: Loris Karius.

For many, his career froze in Kyiv in 2018. Two major errors in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, a trophy slipping away, and a goalkeeper’s reputation shattered on the biggest stage. Loans to Besiktas and Union Berlin followed, before he finally left Liverpool in 2022 on a free transfer. His relationship with Jürgen Klopp had cooled during his time in Istanbul, according to a report by kicker, and he never played for Klopp again.

That felt like the end of the story.

It wasn’t. In January 2025, Karius signed for Schalke 04. It has turned into a stroke of luck for everyone involved.

Last season he was outstanding, a central figure in Schalke’s promotion push. Matthäus underlined that, saying Karius has “a good chance” of a Germany call-up if selection is based on performance. The 33-year-old not only carried Schalke in the second tier, he also showed his class after promotion – notably in a 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich, a match that reminded the wider public of his shot-stopping and composure.

“The past he experienced with Klopp in Liverpool should stay in the drawer,” Matthäus wrote. That line is more than a throwaway remark. With Klopp now taking over the national team, Karius’ personal history with the coach hangs over the debate. Matthäus is urging Germany to judge the goalkeeper on his Schalke form, not on a night in Kyiv eight years ago.

A crowded field behind Neuer

Karius is not alone in the chase. Matthäus estimates that seven or eight keepers are realistically in contention for a call-up.

Beyond ter Stegen, Urbig and Karius, he name-checked Eintracht Frankfurt’s Noah Atubolu as part of the leading quartet. Behind them, Alexander Nübel (Besiktas), Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Mio Backhaus (Freiburg) and Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim) are all in the wider discussion.

It is a mix of profiles: established Bundesliga names, former top prospects trying to relaunch their careers abroad, and younger keepers edging into prominence. For Klopp’s first squad, that depth could tempt him into casting a wide net.

Reports suggest he is considering an XXL squad for the start of his tenure. If he does, the goalkeeper group could be the most fiercely contested area of all.

Klopp’s first tests

Germany’s new era under Klopp begins with a trip to the Netherlands in the Nations League, a high-stakes opener for a coach who thrives on intensity and clarity of roles. The four-match window also includes two games against Greece and a home fixture against Serbia.

Those nights will demand decisions, not just experiments. Does Klopp trust the experience of ter Stegen, if the Ajax keeper can find his best form quickly? Does he fast-track Urbig as the long-term project? Does he reward Karius’ Schalke renaissance and close a personal circle that once seemed permanently broken?

Somewhere in that crowded goalkeeping group lies Germany’s next number one. Klopp’s first squad will tell the country how bold he is prepared to be.