Ilkay Gundogan has announced his retirement from international football after captaining Germany on home soil at Euro 2024. (More Football News)
captained Germany in all five of their matches as they reached the quarter-finals of their home tournament, ulti💛mately suffering a 2-1 extra-time🧸 defeat against Spain.
The midfielder was initially handed the 🌌captain's armband by Hansi Flick in the absence of the injured Manuel Neuer last year, retaining it under new head coach Julian Nagelsmann despite Neuer's return to fitness.
Gun꧙dogan played a total of 82 games for his co🍨untry, scoring 19 goals including two at major tournaments – versus Japan at the 2022 World Cup and Hungary at this year's Euros.
Amid rampant speculation over his future at club level, th🌞e Barcelona man – who has been linked with a return to former club Manchester Ci💙ty – confirmed his international career was over on Monday.
In a statement posted to X, Gundogan wrote: "After a few weeks of reflection, I have com𒀰e to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career.
"I look back with great pride on 82 caps for my home coun🍎try – a number I could never have dreamed of when I made my senior debut in 2011.
"My highlight was clearly the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at our homཧe European Championships this suꦺmmer!
"After all these years, we have finally succeeded in making the nation proud again – the fact t🍃hat I was able to play a part in this makes me very happy.
"But even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body, and also in my head, which made me think, and the games at clu🌼b level are not getting less.
"I will definitely remain a fan of this national team and very much hope that the upward trend can be continued together, and there is nothing to stop us from being one of the closest title contenders at the 2026 World Cup.🧸"
Gundo෴gan recorded one assist at Euro 2024, as well as averaging 32.8 successful passes per 90 minutes, 25.9 of which were in the opꦓposition half.
His international retirement co🃏mes amid♚ reports suggesting he will be leaving Barcelona after just one season with the Catalan giants, who he joined on a free transfer in June 2023.
Gundogan is reportedly attr🥃acting interest frﷺom clubs in Turkiye and Saudi Arabia as well as City, where he won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and the Champions League between 2016 and 2023.
The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder'sꦉ last domestic appearance for City saw him score twice in last year's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United, with his first goal being the fastest scored in FA Cup final history, coming just 12 se𝔍conds after kick-off.
