Toni Kroos announces retirement from international football
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has announced his retirement from international duty with Germany.
The 31-year-old entered Euro 2020 amid plenty of speculation over his future, with many reports suggesting the tournament would be Kroos' last on the international scene.
He played every minute of Germany's four games at the tournament, including the 2-0 defeat to England in the round of 16, and Kroos has now confirmed in a statement that that match was his final for his country.
"I've played for Germany 106 times. There won't be another," he wrote on Twitter. "I would have dearly wished, and I gave everything, so that there would have been 109 appearances in the end and that this one big title, the European Championship, would have been added at the end.
"I made the decision to quit after this tournament a long time ago. It had been clear to me for a long time that I would not be available for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mainly because I want to focus fully on my goals with Real Madrid for the next few years.
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) July 2, 2021
"In addition, from now on, I will deliberately allow myself breaks that have not existed for the last 11 years as a national-team player. Moreover, as a husband and a father, I would also like to be there for my wife and three children.
"It was a great honour for me to be able to wear this jersey for such a long period of time. I did it with pride and passion. Thanks to all the fans and supporters who carried and supported me with their applause and cheers. And thanks to all the critics for the extra motivation.
"At the very end, I would like to say thank you very much to Jogi Low. He made me a national team player and world champion. He trusted me. We have written a success story for a long time. It was an honour for me, doing it well - and good luck to Hansi Flick."
Kroos made his debut for Germany back on March 3, 2010 in a friendly meeting against Argentina, coming off the bench just a few weeks after his 20th birthday.
He made four substitute appearances in Germany's run to third place at the 2010 World Cup, after which Kroos was promoted to a regular starter under Low - a role he held almost permanently until his retirement 11 years later.
One of the top performers at the 2014 World Cup, which Germany managed to win, Kroos never managed to get his hands on the Euros trophy, coming closest in Die Mannschaft's run to the semi-finals in 2016.