Antonio Rüdiger, defender of the German national team and Real Madrid club, has announced his retirement from international football.
Antonio Rüdiger
Club: Real Madrid
Rüdiger revealed via his personal X account: "After a period of reflection, the right moment has come for me to end my journey with the national team and make way for the young generation."
He added, "When I first wore the German national team jersey in 2014, I could never have imagined in my dreams that I would end up playing 86 international matches."
He continued, "Although we did not achieve a major title in recent tournaments and had to swallow the bitterness of some painful defeats, this period formed an exceptional chapter in my life that will leave an indelible mark on my soul."
Rüdiger expressed gratitude to those who supported him throughout his career: "I extend my deepest thanks to my teammates for every shared tackle, for the spirit of unity in the locker room and at our residence, and above all for the friendships that will endure beyond football."
He added, "To the entire technical and administrative staff, thank you for the trust you placed in me over the years and for the work you carried out behind the scenes. Special thanks to Joachim Löw, Hansi Flick, and Julian Nagelsmann, who accompanied me and influenced my journey with the national team, as well as to Horst Hrubesch, who supported me during my time with the youth national teams."
He further stated, "Of course, to you, the fans, thank you for your support, especially for the unique atmosphere you created during the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, which we hosted on home soil."
He concluded, "A new chapter now begins for me, where I will devote my full focus to my club... Thank you all for this shared journey."
The 33-year-old player participated in 86 international matches with the German national team, scoring 3 goals during them.
Rüdiger wore the German national team jersey for the first time in a friendly match against Poland in May 2014, but was not included in the final squad for his country's 2014 World Cup, which Die Mannschaft won.
Rüdiger played in the 2017 Confederations Cup, contributing to his country's title victory, which remains the only trophy he has won with his national team.
Rüdiger made his senior club debut with VfB Stuttgart in 2012, before gaining experience with several clubs including Roma, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
Rüdiger returned to play for Real Madrid against Málaga in the third round of La Liga, after being on the bench in the first two matches of this season.
