Gundogan announces international retirement
Published
As rumours about his club future swirl, Ilkay Gundogan has called time on his international career.
The Barcelona midfielder announced on Monday that he is retiring from Germany effective immediately.
The 33-year-old Gelsenkirchen native captained Germany at this past summer's Euro 2024 at home.
"I look back with great pride at 82 international matches for my home country - a number that I could never have imagined when I made my debut in 2011," Gundogan wrote on social media. "My highlight was the huge honour that I was able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championship last summer. I will definitely continue to be a fan of the national team and I very much hope the upward trend can be continued together."
Gundogan scored 19 goals in a Germany shirt and appeared at two World Cups and two Euros.
After seven seasons at Manchester City, Gundogan arrived at Camp Nou last summer on a free transfer. He had five goals and 14 assists last season in 51 matches across all competitions.
Gundogan has a contract through 2026, but has interest in his services from teams in England, Turkey and Qatar.