Germany’s midfielder, Toni Kroos, has finally retired from the German National team after his team suffered a great defeat to England at the Round of 16 stage.
According to an ESPN report, the Real Madrid player has played 106 games for Germany and has contributed 17 goals and 19 assists to the team.
Announcing his decision, the 31-year old said he had hoped to end up “with 109 caps and one more major title, the European Championship.”
“I gave my all to try and make that happen. I had long decided that this tournament would be my last.
“I have known for a while that I won’t be putting myself forward for Qatar 2022, mostly because I want to be fully focused on my goals with Real Madrid in the coming years. I also want to be able to afford myself some down time that I haven’t been able to have in 11 years as a Germany international.
“On top of that, I want to be around more for my wife and three children as a husband and as a father. It has been a huge honour to have been able to wear this shirt for such a long time.
“I always did it with pride and passion. Thank you to all the fans and supporters that helped carry me with their applause and cheering, but also to those critics who gave me extra motivation.
“Finally, I want to sincerely thank Jogi [Joachim] Low. He made me a Germany international and a World Cup winner. He put his faith in me, and we have written a long success story together.”