Ilkay Gündogan bids farewell to the German national team

(Patria) - The current captain of the German national football team, Ilkay Gündogan (33), has announced his retirement from the "Elf" (the German national team), reports Hina.

The Barcelona midfielder announced his retirement from the national team on social media platform X, stating that he feels "a certain fatigue".

"I am proud of my 82 appearances for my country. I already felt a certain fatigue in my body, but also in my head, which made me think," said the former captain of the "Mannschaft" (the German national team), who follows in the footsteps of Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller, who also retired from the national team after the recent Euros.

"My peak was the immense honor of leading the team as captain at our home European Championship last summer," added Gündogan.

Liebes Fußballdeutschland,

nach einigen Wochen Bedenkzeit bin ich zu dem Entschluss gekommen, dass es an der Zeit ist, meine Nationalmannschaftskarriere zu beenden.

Ich blicke mit sehr viel Stolz auf 82 Länderspiele für mein Heimatland zurück – eine Zahl, die ich mir so hätte… pic.twitter.com/IsU4iYCxq0

— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) August 19, 2024

Gündogan also stated that he will definitely remain a fan of the national team, convinced that the "Elf" can be among the main contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup.

"We have a fantastic coach, a really strong team, and excellent team spirit," added Gündogan.