Antonio Rudiger, a defender for the German national football team, has announced that he is retiring from international play. This decision comes two months after he last played for Germany in the 2026 World Cup. At 33 years old, Rudiger has played 86 matches for Germany and wants to give younger players a chance to represent the team. He began his international career in 2014, shortly before Germany won the World Cup, but he didn't play in that tournament. Now, he plans to focus on his club career with Real Madrid, where he is under contract for the rest of the season. Rudiger has had a successful club career, playing for teams like Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart, Roma, and Chelsea, where he won the Champions League in 2021. He joined Real Madrid in 2022 and also won the Champions League and La Liga in 2024. During his time with the German national team, the team faced challenges, including early exits from the World Cup in 2018, 2022, and 2026. Despite not winning major titles recently, Rudiger considers his time with the national team special and memorable. His biggest achievement with Germany was winning the Confederations Cup in 2017.
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