Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan retires from international football
The former Manchester City midfielder made 82 appearances for his nation
Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan has announced his retirement from international football.
The 33-year-old announced his decision in a statement on social media, just over a month after leading his country at the European Championship, where hosts Germany were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Spain.
The former Manchester City midfielder made 82 appearances for his nation having made his international debut in 2011.
“After a few weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career,” he said.
He added: “My highlight was definitely the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championships last summer! After all these years, we finally managed to make the nation proud again — I’m very happy that I was able to play a part in that.”
Gundogan, who is exploring the option of a move away from Barcelona this summer, said he called time on his international career after feeling “tiredness in my body and my head” before the start of Euro 2024.
He concluded: “I will definitely continue to be a fan of this national team and I really hope that we can continue the upward trend together – and then there is nothing to stop us from being one of the closest contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup. We have a fantastic coach, a really strong team and a great team spirit.”
City are understood to be interested in signing Gundogan, who won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League during his six-year stay in Manchester.
He joined Barcelona last summer on a free transfer but is considering his future at the Camp Nou after just one season in Spain.
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