After international retirement: official farewell for Real Madrid star in his birthplace
German defender Antonio Rüdiger is preparing to bid an official farewell to the fans of his national team, after the German Football Association decided to honour him in his home city of Berlin, ahead of the clash with the Netherlands scheduled for Monday 16 November, as part of the UEFA Nations League.
The German federation will stage a special farewell ceremony for the 33-year-old defender, honouring an international career that spanned 12 years. In that time he won 86 caps for the senior national team and scored 3 goals, with his final appearance coming at the 2026 World Cup.
Jürgen Klopp, the head coach of the German national team, had revealed that a ceremony would honour one of the players who had given so much to the national team, speaking during the press conference to announce the squad on 5 November. German press reports then confirmed the player in question was Rüdiger.
An international player who deserved recognition would receive a fitting farewell and words of thanks, Klopp said, referring to the defender who announced his retirement from international football on 1 September.
Rüdiger took his time over the decision. He weighed it up after Germany's exit from the 2026 World Cup, then declared his wish to end his international career and make way for the new generation while focusing fully on his journey with Real Madrid.
The German defender said in his retirement statement: "After taking some time to reflect, I feel that the time has come to end my career with the national team and make way for the younger generation."
Representing Germany, he added, had been an exceptional chapter in his life, despite his inability to win a major title in the recent tournaments and the painful defeats of the recent period. His experience with the national team, he stressed, would remain an important part of his footballing career.
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It all began on 13 May 2014. Rüdiger made his first appearance for Germany against Poland in a friendly that ended goalless, under coach Joachim Löw.
He quickly became one of the key figures in the national team's defensive line. Three World Cups followed, in 2018, 2022 and 2026, along with two European Championships.
His most notable international achievement was winning the Confederations Cup in 2017 in Russia, after helping Germany to glory under Joachim Löw in an edition that saw the national team lean on a group of young players and reserves in preparation for the 2018 World Cup.
The World Cup and the European Championship, though, eluded him throughout his long international career.
Germany suffered early exits at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. His final international appearance then ended in defeat to Paraguay on penalties, 4-3, after a draw in normal time saw them eliminated in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.
According to the statistics of the German Football Association, Rüdiger played 86 international matches, winning 44, drawing 21 and losing 21, and scored three goals. That places him twenty-first on the list of players with the most appearances for the German national team, level with Oliver Kahn and Andreas Brehme.
