Germany’s Thomas Muller has announced his retirement from international football.
The 34-year-old earned 131 caps during 14 years with the senior side, scoring 45 goals. He was part of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning side and won the Golden Boot at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
His final appearance was as an 80th-minute substitute during Germany’s European Championship quarter-final defeat by Spain, in his eighth major tournament.
Muller’s 131 appearances make him his country’s third-most capped player, behind only Lothar Matthaus (150) and Miroslav Klose (137), while he is their joint sixth top scorer, level with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The versatile Bayern Munich forward made his international debut against Argentina in March 2010, aged 20. Toni Kroos, who announced his intention to retire from professional football after Euro 2024, also won his first senior cap in the same game.
Muller scored his first international goal against Australia in the opening group game of the 2010 World Cup, and his five goals at the tournament earned him the Golden Boot and FIFA Young Player Award.
(Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Muller scored five goals again at the 2014 World Cup — including a hat-trick against Portugal in the group stages and one in the famous 7-1 semi-final victory over Brazil. He played the full 120 minutes in the victory over Argentina in the final.
He had a spell out of the international picture under Joachim Low between 2019 and 2021, but returned to the squad ahead of Euro 2021.
Muller made two appearances from the bench at Euro 2024, with Germany exiting the competition after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Spain.
His Bayern Munich contract runs until 2025.
GO DEEPER
Kroos has retired, and Muller and Neuer may follow. So, where do Germany go from here?
(Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
