İlkay Gündoğan retires from the German national team

İlkay Gündoğan, the German footballer of Turkish descent playing for the Spanish club Barcelona, has announced that he is ending his international career.

In a statement shared on his social media accounts, Gündoğan said, "After a few weeks of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career."

"IT WAS AN HONOR FOR ME"

Expressing his pride in having played 82 matches for the German national team, İlkay Gündoğan shared the following thoughts:

"When I made my debut in 2011, I could not have imagined this number. The most important moment for me was leading the national team as captain in the last European Championship held in our country. After many years, we managed to make our country proud. Being a part of this made me very happy.

Before the championship, I felt fatigue in my body and also in my mind. This led me to think. The number of matches at both club and national team levels is not decreasing. I will always remain a fan of the national team. There is nothing to prevent us from being one of the strongest title contenders in the 2026 World Cup.

We have a great head coach and a strong team. I would like to thank the fans, coaches, teammates, and staff who accompanied me on this journey. It was an honor for me."