Manuel Neuer's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Manuel Neuer. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Manuel Neuer is a highly acclaimed German professional footballer renowned for his goalkeeping skills. He currently captains Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Often regarded as one of history's greatest and most influential goalkeepers, he is nicknamed a "sweeper-keeper" because he proactively leaves his goal to intercept opponents. His exceptional abilities earned him the title of IFFHS's best goalkeeper of the decade (2011-2020).

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2009: Won UEFA European Under-21 Championship

In 2009, Manuel Neuer won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Germany in Sweden, keeping a clean sheet in the 4–0 win against England in the final.

May 2010: Named to World Cup squad as starting goalkeeper

In May 2010, after René Adler's injury, Manuel Neuer was named to Germany's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was confirmed as the starting goalkeeper.

2011: Named Best Goalkeeper of the Decade

In 2011, Manuel Neuer began a decade where he was later named the best goalkeeper from 2011 to 2020 by IFFHS.

April 2012: Saved Penalties Against Real Madrid

On April 25, 2012, Manuel Neuer saved penalty kicks from both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká, helping Bayern Munich advance in the 2011-12 Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid. Neuer revealed he studied Ronaldo's penalty-taking habits beforehand using his goalkeeping coach, Toni Tapalović's, laptop.

2012: Excelled during UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

During the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, Neuer played every minute of every match and helped Germany secure ten wins out of ten games and top their group. Following Germany's 3–1 away win against Turkey, he was praised for his "sensational" performance, including a close-range save and two assists.

2012: Won DFL-Supercup

In 2012, Manuel Neuer started the season by winning the DFL-Supercup with Bayern Munich.

August 2013: Won UEFA Super Cup

On August 30, 2013, Manuel Neuer helped Bayern Munich win the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea by saving the last and decisive penalty.

2013: Won Champions League Title

In 2013, Manuel Neuer won the Champions League title with Bayern Munich, defeating Borussia Dortmund in the final. He made eight saves in the game.

January 2014: Named World Goalkeeper of the Year

On January 7, 2014, Manuel Neuer was announced as the 2013 World Goalkeeper of The Year.

2014: Finished Third in FIFA Ballon d'Or Voting

In 2014, Manuel Neuer finished third in the voting for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

2014: Won 2014 FIFA World Cup

In 2014, Manuel Neuer won the FIFA World Cup with Germany and also received the Golden Glove award as the tournament's best goalkeeper.

2014: Won Footballer of the Year Prize

In 2014, Manuel Neuer won the Footballer of the Year prize, was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year, and finished third in the FIFA Ballon d'Or.

2014: Won Golden Glove at 2014 FIFA World Cup

In 2014, Neuer started in all seven of Germany's matches in their 2014 FIFA World Cup winning campaign, winning the Golden Glove for keeping the most clean sheets at the tournament.

2015: Buffon praises Neuer

In 2015, Gianluigi Buffon described Manuel Neuer as the best goalkeeper of his era in the air, acknowledging his goalkeeping skills.

2015: Most Clean Sheets in a Single Season

In the 2015-16 season, Manuel Neuer set a Bundesliga record for the most clean sheets in a single season, with 21.

July 2016: Broke clean sheet record, saved penalties against Italy

On 2 July 2016, during the Euro 2016 quarter-final against Italy, Neuer broke Sepp Maier's record for not conceding a goal at a major tournament, reaching 557 minutes. He then saved two penalties in a shoot-out, helping Germany win 6–5 and was named Man of the Match.

2016: Won DFL-Supercup and Bundesliga Opener

In 2016, Neuer and FC Bayern won the DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund and he kept a clean sheet in the Bundesliga opener against Werder Bremen.

January 2017: Voted into FIFA Team of the Year

In January 2017, Manuel Neuer was voted into the FIFA Team of the Year alongside Toni Kroos.

September 2017: 100th European Appearance

On September 13, 2017, Neuer made his 100th European appearance in a Champions League match which his side won 3-0 over Anderlecht and suffered foot fracture.

August 2018: Captained Bayern to DFL-Supercup victory

On 12 August 2018, Manuel Neuer captained Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup, leading them to a 5–0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. He also captained Bayern in a 3–1 victory against Hoffenheim on 24 August, marking his first Bundesliga game in 341 days.

May 2019: Won Bundesliga Title and DFB-Pokal

On 18 May 2019, Manuel Neuer won his seventh consecutive Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. A week later, he returned from injury to win his fifth DFB-Pokal, as Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final.

June 2019: Broke clean sheet record in international career

On 11 June 2019, in Germany's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying victory over Estonia, Neuer achieved his 37th clean sheet in his international career, breaking a record set by Sepp Maier.

May 2020: Signed new contract with Bayern Munich and won Champions League

On 21 May 2020, Neuer signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2023. On 23 August, Neuer won the Champions League for the second time, his first as Bayern captain, with a 1–0 victory over PSG, earning widespread praise for his performance.

September 2020: Won the UEFA and German Super Cups

On 24 September 2020, Neuer made a crucial save against Sevilla in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, which Bayern Munich won 2–1 after extra time. Six days later, in September 2020, Neuer also won the German Super Cup.

October 2020: Reached 200th clean sheet with Bayern

On 21 October 2020, Neuer achieved his 200th clean sheet with Bayern in 394 matches, during a 4–0 win against Atlético Madrid in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.

November 2020: Equaled and Surpassed Sepp Maier's record for Germany caps

On 14 November 2020, in a 3–1 win over Ukraine, Neuer equalled Sepp Maier's record of 95 caps for Germany. Three days later, on 17 November 2020, he became the nation's all-time most capped goalkeeper with his 96th appearance, in a 6–0 loss to Spain.

2020: Named Best Goalkeeper of the Decade

In 2020, Manuel Neuer was named the best goalkeeper of the decade from 2011 to 2020 by IFFHS, recognizing his outstanding performance over the years.

2020: Won Second Champions League Title

In 2020, Manuel Neuer won his second UEFA Champions League title, again as part of a treble with Bayern Munich, and as the club's captain.

June 2021: Achieved 100th cap with national team

On 7 June 2021, in a pre-tournament friendly against Latvia, Neuer achieved his 100th cap with the national team, becoming the first German goalkeeper to reach that milestone. UEFA investigated Neuer for wearing a rainbow-coloured captain's armband but confirmed it did not breach tournament rules.

August 2021: Broke Bundesliga clean sheet record

On 28 August 2021, Neuer recorded his 205th clean sheet in the Bundesliga in 441 matches, surpassing Oliver Kahn's previous record of 204 clean sheets in 557 matches.

October 2021: Achieved 300th Bundesliga victory

On 23 October 2021, Manuel Neuer achieved his 300th Bundesliga victory in his 447th Bundesliga game.

2022: Featured in fourth consecutive World Cup and broke appearance record

In 2022, Neuer was called up to Germany's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first German goalkeeper to feature in four consecutive World Cups. On 1 December 2022, he made his 19th World Cup appearance, breaking the previous record for goalkeepers. Germany failed to progress from the group stage for a second consecutive World Cup.

October 2023: Return to play after injury

On 28 October 2023, Manuel Neuer played his first match in 350 days, which resulted in an 8–0 victory over Darmstadt.

January 2024: Played 500th match for FC Bayern

On 12 January 2024, during a 3–0 win over Hoffenheim, Manuel Neuer played his 500th match for FC Bayern, equalling Bastian Schweinsteiger in tenth place in the club's all-time appearance rankings.

October 2024: Celebrated 250th clean sheet with Bayern Munich

On 30 October 2024, Manuel Neuer celebrated his 250th clean sheet with Bayern Munich in all competitions, following a 4–0 away win against Mainz in the DFB-Pokal.

2024: Played in UEFA Euro 2024, breaking appearance records

In June 2024, Neuer started in the opening game of Euro 2024 as the hosts beat Scotland 5–1 in Munich. He played in all five of Germany's matches at the tournament, keeping clean sheets against Hungary and Denmark. His 20 games at European Championships are a record amongst German players.