German team captain Ilkay Gundogan announced his retirement from international football at the age of 33.
Gundogan will turn 34 in October. He made his decision by announcing on social networks, just over a month after the German team was eliminated by Spain in the quarterfinals of EURO 2024.
Gundogan, born in Gelsenkirchen to Turkish parents, represented German football from under-18 to under-21 level, before making his first appearance for the national team in a EURO 2012 qualifier against Belgium in October 2011.
Up to now, he has had a total of 82 caps for the team, including 19 times as captain. On that journey, he contributed 19 goals - the last in a 2-0 win over Hungary in the group stage at EURO 2024, and 9 assists.
Gundogan missed Germany's successful 2014 World Cup campaign due to a back injury. But when he appeared, "German Tank" was disappointingly eliminated twice in the group stage at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Announcing their separation, Gundogan declared he would "definitely continue" to support the national team as a fan.
On his Instagram page, Gundogan wrote: "After several weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career.
I am extremely proud when I look back at 82 matches for my country - a number I could never have dreamed of when I debuted for the national team in 2011.
My pinnacle was certainly the great honor of leading the team as captain at the European Championships on home soil this past summer! After all these years, we're finally making the country proud again - I'm glad I was able to play a part in that.
But before the tournament, I felt a bit tired in my body and mind, which made me think. And the number of matches at club and country level will not decrease.
I will definitely continue to be a fan of the national team and I really hope that together we can keep going - and then nothing can stop us from being one of the contenders. leading team for the title at the 2026 World Cup. We have a great coach, a really strong squad and great team spirit."
Reacting to Gundogan 's decision , Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said: "I'm extremely proud to have Ilkay as our captain, he played great at the last EURO.
I have always been fascinated and impressed by his intelligence, his sense of security on the ball, his smart and accurate passes.
He rarely seeks attention for himself, often letting his teammates shine. We will miss his skillful play and his vision.
Ilkay is a great captain, and I want to be able to continue working with him. The door is never completely closed for anyone in the national team, but we respect his decision and wish him all the best for the future, both on and off the field."
