Germany's captain, Ilkay Gundogan, declared his retirement from international football on Monday, following his leadership role at Euro 2024. He attributed his decision to a combination of physical and mental exhaustion.
"After several weeks of contemplation, I've decided it's the right time to conclude my career with the national team," Gundogan shared on social media. "I reflect with immense pride on my 82 appearances for Germany—a figure I could scarcely have imagined when I first joined the senior squad in 2011."
Gundogan's announcement comes on the heels of similar retirements by Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller. Kroos retired permanently post-Euro 2024, whereas Mueller ended his Germany tenure just last month.
At 34 years old, Gundogan led Germany to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024, where they were defeated by Spain in extra time. Despite this setback, Germany showed signs of regaining their competitive edge after disappointing exits from recent World Cup and Euro tournaments.
The midfielder, now with Barcelona, highlighted his captaincy at the previous summer's European Championship as a career pinnacle. Gundogan, who earned multiple Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy with Manchester City before joining Barcelona, acknowledged feeling the strain of a demanding schedule prior to Euro 2024.
"I experienced a notable fatigue in both body and mind, prompting this reflection. The intensity of club and national team commitments is unlikely to diminish," he explained.
Gundogan expressed his continued support for the national team and hopes for their continued success, envisioning a strong contender role for the 2026 World Cup. He praised the team's coaching, strength, and camaraderie.
Having debuted against Belgium in 2011, Gundogan missed Germany's 2014 World Cup victory due to injury and was also sidelined for Euro 2016. He made history as the first Turkish-German to captain the national team and participated in four major tournaments, including being a non-playing member at Euro 2012.
Germany's coach, Julian Nagelsmann, expressed his admiration for Gundogan's captaincy and his personal wish to continue working with him. Nagelsmann acknowledged the possibility of a future return but respected Gundogan's current decision, wishing him well in his future endeavors.
