Antonio Rudiger has disclosed that he consistently urges his Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos to reconsider his decision to retire from international football.
Kroos, who amassed 106 appearances for Germany from 2010 to 2021 and secured a World Cup victory in 2014 before joining Real Madrid, announced his retirement from the national team after a disappointing Euro 2020. At the age of 31, he explained that the decision was aimed at prioritizing his club career and spending more time with his wife and three children.
Despite Kroos’ rationale, his absence is keenly felt by his international peers.
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“I ask him [to reconsider Germany selection] every day. A player of his caliber, who continues to perform at such a high level, should really be part of it,” Rudiger stated in an interview with DAZN this week.
“When Toni plays, with his extraordinary skill and a game that’s out of this world, everything is excellent. I would really like to see him back in the national team. However, that is his decision.”
Approaching his 34th birthday next month, Kroos remains a crucial figure for Real Madrid. He has featured in all 16 La Liga games this season, starting ten of them, despite the emergence of a newer generation of players groomed to succeed him and his long-time partner Luka Modric.
With Euro 2024 set to take place on home soil at the end of the club season, Germany aims to use their advantage as hosts to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 World Cup. After being regular contenders in major tournaments, Germany has experienced a noticeable decline in recent years, marked by a surprising group stage exit in the 2018 World Cup and another early exit in Qatar last year. The team’s response has been concerning, winning only three of the 11 games played in 2023 and losing six.