Antonio Rüdiger announces Germany retirement after 12 years and 86 caps | OneFootball

Antonio Rüdiger has retired from international football, drawing a line under a 12-year Germany career that brought 86 caps.

The player said in a statement that he was stepping aside for the younger generation.

Rüdiger debuted for the national team in 2014, scored three goals, played at six major tournaments and won the 2017 Confederations Cup.

He expressed pride in wearing the shirt, while accepting that recent tournaments ended without the big prize and included painful defeats. He thanked team-mates for their camaraderie, and praised coaches Jogi Löw, Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann, along with youth mentor Horst Hrubesch. He also hailed the fans, singling out the atmosphere at the home European Championship in 2024.

Rüdiger called this a new chapter focused on club football in Spain. With Real Madrid facing a demanding schedule, stepping away from international duty should help him manage his fitness and remain a key part of their defence.

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”