UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE
Why isn’t Ilkay Gündogan playing for Germany against Hungary in the UEFA Nations League?
With Julian Nagelsmann still in charge, Germany begin life after a number of veteran players, including Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller.
A new-look Germany will kick off their 2024/25 UEFA Nations League campaign against Hungary on Saturday (September 7), with veteran stars Ilkay Gündogan, Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller no longer part of Julian Nagelsmann’s roster.
All four players were part of the Germany squad that competed in Euro 2024 on home soil, reaching the quarterfinals before being eliminated by eventual winners Spain.
Kroos, Müller and Neuer announce international retirements
That proved to be the last match of Kroos’ professional career, with the former Real Madrid midfielder revealing in May that he would be retiring from the sport in the summer.
Forward Müller, who scored seven World Cup goals, announced his international retirement immediately after the conclusion of Euro 2024, although he will continue playing for Bayern Munich. Club teammate Neuer, Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper for since before the 2010 World Cup, followed suit a little over a month later.
Gündogan to play for Manchester City again...but not Germany
Neuer’s withdrawal from international duty came hot on the heels of Gündogan’s, overshadowed somewhat by his summer transfer back to Manchester City from Barcelona after only one year in Catalonia.
The 33-year-old agreed to return to the Premier League champions on August 23, four days after he had announced he would no longer be playing for Germany.
“I look back with immense pride on 82 international matches for my homeland – a number I could never have dreamed of when I made my debut for the senior national team in 2011,” Gündogan explained.
Why Gündogan missed Germany’s 2014 World Cup win
He also revealed the highlight of his career was captaining Germany at Euro 2024, a reminder of his absence from the World Cup-winning roster in 2014. Kroos, Neuer and Müller were all part of the squad that lifted the trophy in Brazil, but Gündogan missed the tournament because of a long-term back injury sustained while playing for Borussia Dortmund.