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Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan says goodbye to international football in a summer of major decisions for him.
Ilkay Gundogan has announced his retirement from international football amid reports that he is set to leave Barcelona this summer.
The announcement comes after a disappointing European Championship with Germany, in which Die Mannschaft were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Spain in front of their home crowd.
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Gundogan captained Julian Nagelsmann’s side through the tournament and was expected to continue in the role for the foreseeable future. However, he has now called time on his career with the national team.
Gundogan’s statement
“Dear Football Germany, after a few weeks of consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career.,” Gundogan started in his statement on X.
“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.
“My highlight was definitely the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championships last summer! After all these years, we finally managed to make the nation proud again, and I'm very happy that I was able to play a part in that.
“But even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body and also in my head, which got me thinking. And the games at club and national level are not getting any less.
“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 closest contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup. We have a fantastic coach, a really strong team and a great team spirit.
“Thanks to all the fans, staff, coaches and teammates who have accompanied me on this journey. It was an honour! Thank you, Germany! Your Ilkay.”
Gundogan stats and achievements with Germany
The 33-year-old played across various age grades for the German national teams before making his senior debut in October 2011 in a 3-1 Euro qualifier win over Belgium under Joachim Low.
He went on to register 82 caps for Die Mannschaft and he scored 19 goals. He would not win any trophy with the senior team, as he suffered a heartbreaking back injury in the build-up to the 2014 World Cup, which Germany went on to win.
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It is a Summer of major decisions for Ilkay, as along with his decision to hang up his boot, he also has to choose a new club. The former Dortmund man is set to leave Barcelona this transfer window, with the club keen on saving his wages to remedy their FFP problems.
He has been linked with a move back to Manchester City, where he was captain before deciding to leave for Barcelona and according to Fabrizio Romano, the English champions are open to reintegrating him.
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