Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger announces retirement from German national team

BERLIN (AP) — Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger has retired from the German national team.

The 33-year-old from Neukölln in Berlin said in an Instagram post on Tuesday it was time for him to end his career after more than 12 years with the senior German men’s team to clear the way for “the young generation.”

Rüdiger’s announcement comes two months after Germany’s World Cup exit in a penalty shootout to Paraguay, and a day after Argentina great Lionel Messi announced his international retirement. Rüdiger played 110 minutes of the loss to Paraguay.

“When I first wore the German jersey in 2014, I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams that it would eventually lead to 86 international appearances,” Rüdiger wrote. “Even though the major titles eluded us in recent tournaments and we had to endure some painful defeats, this time was an incredibly special period for me, one that will shape me forever.”

Rüdiger thanked his teammates “for every shared challenge on the field” and their camaraderie and friendships, while he also mentioned former Germany coaches Joachim Löw, Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann, as well as Germany youth coach Horst Hrubesch. He also thanked fans for their support and said he was going to concentrate on his career with Madrid.

Rüdiger joined the Spanish powerhouse from Chelsea in 2022, after stints with Roma and Stuttgart. He won a league and Champions League double with Madrid in 2024, while he also won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.

New Germany coach Jürgen Klopp will need to find two new central defensive options on Sept. 17 when he names his first squad for upcoming Nations League games as Nico Schlotterbeck is still out with an ankle injury.

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