Thomas Muller retires from international football

2014 World Cup winner Thomas Muller has called time on his illustrious international career following the climax of Euro 2024, hosted in his country, Germany.

The 34-year-old forward, who has been a crucial player for the three-time European champions for 14 years, announced his retirement from international football on Monday.

“It always made me very proud to play for my country. We celebrated together and sometimes shed a tear together,” said Muller in a farewell video on YouTube. “When I had the privilege of making my first international appearance over 14 years ago, I would never have dreamed of all this. I would like to say thank you to all the fans and my Germany teammates for their support over the years. Take the enthusiasm and joy of this year’s Euros with you.”

Muller made his debut for the German national team on March 3, 2010, in a 1-0 defeat to Argentina.

He played in four World Cups and four European Championships with the team. At the 2010 World Cup, Muller scored five goals and set up three more, earning the Golden Boot as the top scorer and being voted the best young player of the tournament.

Four years later, he became a world champion with Germany in Brazil, contributing five goals to their victorious campaign.

Thomas Muller has officially announced his retirement from international football 😢

Saying goodbye to another legend 👋 pic.twitter.com/DiVn9jBpq2

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) July 15, 2024

Muller and Germany’s struggles after 2014 triumph

Despite his significant contributions, Germany struggled to match their previous successes in subsequent tournaments. Muller’s final tournament was Euro 2024, where Germany was knocked out by eventual winners Spain in the quarters.

• Spain edge out Germany in Euro 2024 thriller
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Muller made a total of 131 international appearances for Germany, making him the third most-capped player in Germany’s history after Lothar Matthaus (150) and Miroslav Klose.

With 45 international goals, the Bayern Munich forward is also seventh in the all-time scoring list of Germany.

As Muller bids farewell to international football, his legacy as one of the greatest players in German football history is firmly cemented.