Germany defender Rüdiger announces international retirement

Germany defender, and former Chelsea star, Antonio Rüdiger announced his retirement from international football, two months after making his final appearance for his country at the 2026 World Cup.

The 33-year-old center-back made 86 appearances for the four-time world champions over a 12-year international career.

“After some time reflecting, the moment has come for me to end my national team career and clear the way for the young generation,” Rüdiger stated in a social media announcement. Rüdiger made his senior debut for Germany in May 2014 against Poland, a month before Germany’s World Cup victory in Brazil, though he was not part of that tournament squad.

His highlight at the international level came in 2017 when he helped Germany win the FIFA Confederations Cup. The center-back noted that he will now concentrate entirely on his club career with Real Madrid.

“A new chapter begins for me now, in which I will focus entirely on my club,” Rüdiger added.Born in Berlin, Rüdiger progressed through the youth academies at Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart before spells at AS Roma and Chelsea where he won the 2021 UEFA Champions League prior to joining Real Madrid in 2022.

His final appearance for Germany came during the 2026 World Cup in a round-of-32 fixture against Paraguay.

“Even though the big title eluded us in recent tournaments and we had to endure some painful defeats, this time was an incredibly special chapter for me—one that will shape me forever,” Rüdiger concluded.

Nach einiger Zeit des Nachdenkens ist für mich der Zeitpunkt gekommen, meine Karriere in der Nationalmannschaft zu beenden und den Weg für die junge Generation frei zu machen. 🇩🇪
Als ich 2014 das erste Mal das DFB-Trikot getragen habe, hätte ich es mir in meinen Träumen nicht… pic.twitter.com/MniXUgxswy

— Antonio Rüdiger (@ToniRuediger) September 1, 2026