Pregnant Anika at the World Cup?
Manuel Neuer gives a rare insight into family life
June 18, 2026 – 11:00 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Shortly before the World Cup it was announced that the national goalkeeper would be a father again. Now Manuel Neuer has spoken about his family’s World Cup plans.
“We are expecting our second child, so a long-distance trip is not planned,” he said Manuel Neuer Said this in an interview with BR in mid-May and thus the pregnancy his wife Anika confirmed publicly for the first time. However, things turned out differently for the 40-year-old: a few days later, the national coach gave up Julian Nagelsmann announced that the goalkeeper would join the team two years after retiring from the national team Football World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
In the video | This is the woman next to Manuel Neuer
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The 40-year-old has been in the DFB headquarters in Winston-Salem for around two weeks now, and Germany’s next group game is on Saturday. While many of his teammates already had their families with them for the opening game against Curaçao in Houston, Anika Neuer and their son are not yet in the USA.
“That’s definitely a goal.”
So far, he has kept in touch with his wife and two-year-old Luca at home through video calls. “I’ve just put the little one to bed,” said Manuel Neuer at a press conference on Thursday. “He had been in the bathtub for a moment and before that he had been at children’s gymnastics. So, everything is going well.”
But it is “a little difficult” to keep in touch “with the time difference.” Germany is six hours ahead of North Carolina. Is his pregnant wife still planning to have their son? WM to come? “That is definitely a goal,” said Manuel Neuer with a view to the rest of the tournament. “I would be happy if that was the case too.”
The World Cup will take place until July 19th. It is not known which month of pregnancy Anika Neuer is. In general, the couple largely keeps their private life out of the public eye. The relationship between the footballer and the handball player became public in 2020. In 2023 the two married in a small circle.