Ilkay Gundogan has officially announced his retirement from international football, ending his illustrious career with the German national team.
The 33-year-old Barcelona midfielder revealed his decision on social media on Monday, following his role as captain at the 2024 European Championship held in Germany.
Gundogan, who made his debut for the senior national team in 2011, scored 19 goals in 82 appearances for his country. Reflecting on his journey, he expressed immense pride in his achievements, especially the honor of captaining the team at Euro 2024.
“After a few weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career,” Gündogan wrote. “I look back with great pride on 82 international matches for my home country — a number I could never have dreamed of when I made my debut for the senior national team in 2011.”
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Ilkay Gundogan highlighted his captaincy at the home European Championship as a career-defining moment, noting how the team managed to restore national pride after a challenging period for German football. However, he admitted to feeling a growing physical and mental fatigue that influenced his decision.
“But even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body and also in my head, which made me think,” he added. “The number of games at club and national level is not coming down.”
Despite stepping away from international duty, Gundogan expressed his continued support for the national team and optimism about their future prospects, particularly looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup.
Gundogan’s retirement follows the departure of Thomas Muller from international football, who also stepped back after Germany’s quarterfinal exit to Spain at Euro 2024. This marks the end of an era for two key figures in the German squad.
