Germany defender Antonio Rudiger announced his international retirement on Tuesday, two months after making his final appearance for the national team at the 2026 World Cup.
The 33-year-old made 86 appearances for the four-time world champions, scoring six goals.
“After some time reflecting, the moment has come for me to end my national team career and clear the way for the young generation,” Rudiger said in a social media post.
Rudiger made his Germany debut in 2014, a month before the country won the World Cup in Brazil, although he was not included in the squad for the tournament.
The centre-back said he would now focus on his club career at Real Madrid, where he is under contract until the end of the season.
“A new chapter begins for me now, in which I will focus entirely on my club,” he said.
Born in Berlin, Rudiger came through the youth systems at Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart before moving to Roma and then Chelsea in 2017. He helped the English club win the Champions League in 2021.
Rudiger joined Real Madrid in 2022 and won both the Champions League and La Liga with the Spanish giants in 2024.
His international career coincided with a difficult period for Germany, who suffered group-stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
At the 2026 World Cup, Germany were eliminated in the last 32 by Paraguay, in what proved to be Rudiger’s final appearance for his country.
“Even though the big title eluded us in recent tournaments and we had to endure some painful defeats, this time was an incredibly special chapter for me — one that will shape me forever,” Rudiger said.
His biggest international achievement came in 2017, when he helped Germany win the Confederations Cup in Russia.
Rudiger’s time in the Borussia Dortmund youth system overlapped with that of current Germany coach Jurgen Klopp, who was managing the club at the time. However, Rudiger never made a first-team appearance for Dortmund.
AFP
