DFB: Antonio Rüdiger ends his Germany career

Antonio Rüdiger has decided to end his Germany career and make way for a younger generation. “After some time to reflect, the time has come for me to end my career with the national team and make way for the young generation,” he wrote on social media.

Rüdiger said Germany’s failure to win a major title at recent tournaments, along with several painful defeats, did not erase the importance of his time with the national team. He thanked former coaches Joachim Löw, Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann, as well as Horst Hrubesch, who supported him in Germany’s youth teams.

The defender made his international debut in a goalless friendly against Poland in May 2014. He went on to win 86 caps from 2014 and appeared at three World Cups and two European Championships. His only international title came with Germany’s young team at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

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After some time to reflect, the time has come for me to end my career with the national team and make way for the young generation.

He was part of Germany’s unsuccessful World Cup campaigns in Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022 and the latest tournament in North America. Rüdiger played only against Sweden at the 2018 World Cup, while an anterior cruciate ligament injury ruled him out of Euro 2016. At the 2022 World Cup, he was a regular starter but could not prevent another early exit.

An injury in autumn 2025 cost him his starting place under Nagelsmann. He returned after Nico Schlotterbeck suffered an ankle injury against Ivory Coast, but Germany later lost to Paraguay on penalties in the intermediate round. Rüdiger’s Germany career also drew controversy, including a 2025 Spanish Cup outburst in which he threw an object at the referee from the bench and received a public reprimand from DFB sporting director Rudi Völler.

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Even though the big title eluded us at the last tournaments and we had to accept some painful defeats, this time was an extremely special chapter for me that will shape me forever.