Former Bayern Munich star announces retirement | OneFootball

Mats Hummels has announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2024/25 season. The 36-year-old will call it a career after nearly 20 years of top-flight action with his final destination being AS Roma.

Hummels joined the youth academy at Bayern Munich at six and became one of the best players to emerge. He made his professional debut for the German record champion on 19 May 2007 against 1. FSV Mainz 05.

After a brief loan stint, he later joined Borussia Dortmund permanently in 2009 and made his name as one of the best center-backs in the world. Hummels, alongside Neven Subotic, is the centerpiece of Jurgen Klopp's feat of winning two Bundesliga titles and a trip to the UEFA Champions League Finals. During the same period, Mats Hummels formed a formidable partnership with his future clubmate Jerome Boateng on the international stage. The pairing was irreplaceable in Germany's quest for the World Cup trophy in 2014. Hummels himself scored two goals, including the decider against France, to book the ticket to the semifinals.

In 2016, Hummels made the league-altering return to Bayern Munich for a grand fee of €35 million, linking up with his Germany teammates Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, and Philipp Lahm. The Hummels-Boateng center-back duo was anticipated to bring Bayern European glory. However, it was met with slight disappointment as he struggled with injury and a drop in form.

The German international only managed 118 appearances in three years, scoring five goals. Despite being underwhelming in individual performances, his stint at the club resulted in lots of team success, including three consecutive Bundesliga titles, three DFL-Super Cups, and a DFB-Pokal.

A boy from Bergisch Gladbach, coming through the ranks and playing for the biggest clubs in Germany, winning every domestic title and even a World Cup on the way, Mats Hummels has always been the pride of Bayern's academy. He was the benchmark for the modern center-back: physically imposing and dominant in the air yet versatile, tactical, and high in defensive IQ to make up for the lack of pace. Not to mention, his intangible qualities like leadership and clutch genes were what made him stand out from the rest of the defenders in the German golden generation.

We wish Mats Hummels a happy retirement and success in his future endeavors! Bayern Munich fans will always cherish his moments in the red and white jersey.