Antonio Rudiger retires from Germany duty after 86 caps

Antonio Rudiger, the 33-year-old German defender, announced his retirement from international football on Tuesday. This comes two months after his last appearance for Germany at the 2026 World Cup. In a social media post, Rudiger stated that it was time to step aside for the next generation.

Rudiger made his debut for Germany in 2014, just a month before the team won the World Cup. However, he was not included in the squad that went to Brazil. The center-back expressed his desire to concentrate on his club, Real Madrid, where he has a contract until the end of the season.

Rudiger began his career at Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart youth systems before moving to Roma and then Chelsea in 2017, where he clinched the 2021 Champions League. He transferred to Real Madrid in 2022, where he won the Champions League and La Liga in 2024. Rudiger's time with the German defense aligned with a decade of poor results for the traditional powers. Germany exited the group stage at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and suffered a last-32 exit against Paraguay in 2026, which was Rudiger's final match for Germany.

Despite the lack of a major trophy in recent tournaments and several tough losses, Rudiger considered this period a significant chapter in his life—one that will remain etched in his memory. His greatest international achievement was winning the 2017 Confederations Cup. Rudiger's tenure at Dortmund coincided with Jurgen Klopp's time at the club, but he never played a first-team game.