Barcelona midfielder announces retirement from international duty

Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan may be in the middle of a transfer tussle after requesting an exit from the Blaugrana, but he has made a big announcement that still doesn’t impact his stay or otherwise at Barca but brings an end to an era.

The former Manchester City star stated his interest in leaving Barcelona before the close of this summer transfer window but while Hansi Flick is keen to keep him at the club, that issue isn’t what the midfielder has addressed but instead announced an end to his international career.

Gundogan announced his retirement from national team duty with a lengthy statement on X on Monday, August 19 stating his highlight was the huge honour of leading the team as captain at the last European Championships hosted on home soil.

“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. 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.” Gundogan said.

He revealed that he would continue to be a fan of the national team, believing that the team would be one of the closest contenders for the title at the 2026 World Cup. Despite making his debut in 2011, he was not part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup winning squad for Germany, albeit he appeared at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

The 33-year-old played 82 times for Germany and with 19 goals. He will now focus on his club career, although he still needs to clarify his next move before the end of the transfer window. His last appearance for Barcelona was a 22-minute appearance in the 3-0 loss to Monaco in the Joan Gamper Trophy before the season started.