Marc-André ter Stegen's Road to Germany's No 1 Goalkeeper
Marc-André ter Stegen’s push to finally become Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper has hit another bump – and this time it starts at club level.
Ajax Amsterdam coach Míchel confirmed that the 34-year-old is carrying a serious injury and deliberately left him out of Tuesday night’s league match against Willem II Tilburg. The decision was not tactical. It was calculated.
“Marc is recovering from a serious injury,” Míchel said, explaining why his usual No 1 was nowhere near the pitch. With an international break looming, Ajax have chosen caution over continuity.
Ajax gamble on rest, not rhythm
Míchel described “the current moment” as ideal to give Maarten Paes a run in goal and allow ter Stegen to reset properly. The logic is clear: sit him now, protect him for Saturday’s game, and hand him over to the national team in better shape.
The coach spelt it out. The plan is for ter Stegen “to properly recover for the game on Saturday as well as the subsequent international break”. If, as expected, he joins up with Germany, Ajax will still be involved in his rehabilitation.
“Should ter Stegen travel to the national team – which is likely – we will then have time to continue working on his recovery,” Míchel said.
So Ajax are managing minutes. Germany are eyeing a long-term No 1. And ter Stegen is stuck in the middle, again fighting his body at the very moment his chance finally opens up.
Klopp’s first big call in goal
According to multiple media reports, Germany coach Jürgen Klopp is planning with ter Stegen as his future first choice. The “eternal” crown prince to Manuel Neuer, so often the nearly man, is once more being lined up as the main man.
He had already stepped into that role under Klopp’s predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, after Neuer’s retirement from international duty following Euro 2024 – a retirement that turned out to be temporary at first, before now becoming definitive. Ter Stegen’s run as No 1 stalled when injuries struck again.
His last appearance for Germany came on 8 June 2025 in the Nations League, a 2-0 defeat to France in Stuttgart. Since then, the shirt has been his in theory, but not in practice.
Now Klopp arrives, Neuer is out of the picture for good, and the path finally looks clear. If his body allows it.
A homecoming for the crown prince
If ter Stegen makes it back in time, his comeback could hardly be scripted better. For Klopp’s debut, Germany travel to Amsterdam to face the Netherlands in the Nations League on 24 September – effectively a home game for the Ajax keeper.
From his club stadium to his national rebirth? That is the storyline hanging in the air.
Germany’s schedule in that window is relentless: Netherlands on 24 September, Greece on 27 September, Serbia on 1 October, then Greece again on 4 October. Four games, a new era, and a goalkeeper hierarchy that Klopp must define quickly.
He will name his squad on Thursday at 10am. Expect it to be big. Very big.
The challengers line up
Ter Stegen remains the favourite, but the competition behind him is sharpening.
- Alexander Nübel, now at Besiktas, and Jonas Urbig of Bayern Munich are seen as his main challengers.
- Both are younger, both are being watched closely, and both are expected to be in Klopp’s first squad.
- Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen is also tipped to be called up, adding another name to a crowded goalkeeping group.
Neuer, the man who blocked ter Stegen’s path for more than a decade, has now definitively retired from the Germany squad. Previous No 2 Oliver Baumann is not expected to feature either.
So the stage is finally clear. The crown has been polished. The “eternal” heir has a coach who wants him and a legend who has stepped aside.
All that remains is the one thing football can never guarantee: can Marc-André ter Stegen stay fit long enough to claim the role that has been waiting for him for years?
