Antonio Rudiger steps away from Germany duty to make room for next generation

Antonio Rudiger has announced his retirement from international football with Germany, saying the time has come to make way for younger players and focus fully on his career at Real Madrid.

The defender revealed his decision on his official Instagram account, bringing an end to more than a decade with the national team. His announcement came less than 24 hours after Lionel Messi declared that he would retire from international football with Argentina.

Rudiger, 31, made his Germany debut in 2014 and went on to win 86 caps. In a statement, he reflected on the scale of his international career and admitted that he had never expected to reach such a number of appearances.

“After a period of reflection, I felt that the time had come to end my career with the national team and make room for the next generation,” Rudiger said.

He added: “When I first put on the Germany shirt in 2014, I could not even have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would play 86 international matches.”

Germany did not win a major title during Rudiger’s international career, although the centre-back said the experience remained one of the most significant periods of his life. He also acknowledged the painful defeats suffered by the team in recent tournaments.

“Despite the absence of a major title and the fact that we experienced some painful defeats, this period will remain an exceptional chapter that will stay with me throughout my life,” he said.

Rudiger thanked the team-mates he played alongside, as well as the coaching and administrative staff who worked with Germany during his time in the squad.

He singled out former national-team managers Joachim Low, Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann for particular thanks. Rudiger also acknowledged Horst Hrubesch, who coached him at youth international level.

The Real Madrid defender reserved a special message for Germany’s supporters, praising their backing and highlighting the atmosphere surrounding UEFA Euro 2024, which was staged on home soil.

Germany reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 before losing to Spain after extra time. The tournament was hosted across Germany and brought strong support for the national side, with Rudiger identifying the connection with the fans as one of the memorable elements of his international career.

He concluded his statement by turning his attention to the next phase of his career at club level.

“For me, a new chapter begins now, in which I will focus fully on my career with Real Madrid. Thank you for this shared journey,” he said.

Rudiger’s decision means Germany lose an experienced defender who has been part of the squad through several different managerial periods. His international career began under Low, continued during Flick’s time in charge and included the recent Euro 2024 campaign under Nagelsmann.

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