Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan has decided to call time on his international career at the age of 32 on August 19, Monday. Gundogan captained the German side during the Euro 2024 campaign, where they reached the quarterfinals and lost to eventual champions Spain.
Gundogan revealed his decision on social media and said after a few weeks of reflection, he decided to call time on his international career. The midfielder said leading the team at the Euro 2024 was a huge honour for him. Gundogan said that he felt a certain tiredness before the Euro 2024 and it got him thinking about his future with the German team.
The midfielder signed off by saying that he would continue to be a fan of the team.
“Dear football Germany, after a few weeks of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career. I look back with great pride on 82 international matches for my home country – a number that I could never have dreamed of when I made my debut for the senior national team in 2011.”
“My highlight was clearly the huge honor of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championships last summer! After all the years before, we have finally managed to make the nation proud again – the fact that I was able to play a part in that makes me very happy.”
“But even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body and also in my head that got me thinking. And the games at club and national level are not getting any less. I will definitely continue to be a fan of this national team and very much hope that we can continue the upward trend together – and then there is nothing to stop us from being one of the closest title contenders at the 2026 World Cup. We have a fantastic coach, a really strong team and a great team spirit.”
“Thank you to all the fans, staff, coaches and teammates who have accompanied me on this journey. It was an honour! Thank you, Germany! Your Ilkay,” said Gundogan.
Gundogan’s now follows in the footsteps of Thomas M¼ller, who recently decided to step away from representing Germany after their Euro 2024 campaign. Germany’s journey in the tournament ended in the quarterfinals with a defeat to Spain.
Gundogan played 82 times for Germany and scored 19 goals during that time.
This marked the first significant success for Germany in recent years, after a string of disappointing performances in major tournaments. The German national team had previously faced early exits, including a group-stage elimination at the 2018 World Cup and a round-of-16 defeat by England at Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the pandemic.
As for G¼ndoÄan’s club career, his future remains uncertain. Barcelona, where he currently plays, is grappling with registration issues, even though they kicked off their LaLiga season with a 2-1 victory on Saturday.