In a heartfelt social media post, Germany's Ilkay Gundogan announced his retirement from the national team, marking the end of an impressive international career.
\"After a few weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career,\" Gundogan wrote. Reflecting on his journey, he shared, \"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.\"
Throughout his tenure, Gundogan made 82 appearances for Germany, scoring 19 goals and providing nine assists. He notably captained the team during the UEFA European Championship held at home last summer, where Germany reached the quarterfinals before being narrowly defeated by Spain, the tournament champions.
\"My highlight was definitely the huge honor of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championship last summer!\" he expressed. Gundogan emphasized the physical and mental fatigue from the demanding schedule, stating, \"And the number of games at club and national level is not coming down.\"
Looking ahead, Gundogan remains optimistic about Germany's future, saying, \"I will definitely continue to be a fan of this national team and I really hope that we can continue the upward trend together – and then there is nothing to stop us from being one of the prime contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup. We have a fantastic coach, a really strong squad and a great team spirit.\"
On the club front, Gundogan joined Barcelona as a free agent in July 2023, contributing five goals and 14 assists in the 2023-24 season. However, his future with the La Liga giant remains uncertain due to ongoing player registration issues.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
