Tony Kroos has had a remarkably sparkling career, representing great clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. He also dedicated more than a decade of his career to the German international team. In fact, his presence in the team was crucial to Germany’s win at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Surprisingly, Tony Kroos made the decision to retire from the national team at the relatively young age of 30, citing personal reasons. Moreover, recent speculations suggest that his tenure with Real Madrid or his football career altogether may be coming to an end soon.
Will Tony Kroos come out of retirement?
Tony Kroos once hinted at concluding his career in 2024. Although there were discussions about hanging his boots at the conclusion of the 2022–23 campaign, the 33-year-old has opted to extend his stay at Santiago Bernabeu for at least another 12 months. Deliberating on the long-term future remains a reluctance, as his focus is firmly set on living and enjoying his present years at Los Blancos.
Tony Kroos, speaking on his future at Real Madrid, once said, “Right now I don’t want to commit to anything. Don’t know. Perhaps there will be a much earlier, clearer decision… or not. Why close off either option now? There is no reason, at least not now. We’ll see how the year starts, how everything goes. Then I will ask myself the same questions as this year.”
Initially, Tony Kroos delayed his contract extension with Real Madrid while he was evaluating his options. He then later heaped praise on the La Liga giant for handling his contract situation shrewdly.
“Because I feel like it’s the right thing to do. In fact, I would like to congratulate the club on the way they have handled this whole matter. I think it has once again been a course of events absolutely worthy of this connection of mine to the club, on both sides. I played my role saying from the beginning and always very clearly: ‘I’m not leaving here anymore. I’m not sure if I want to play another year or not, but I’m not leaving here.”
Kroos made it clear that he hasn’t decided yet whether or not there will be an extension of his stay at Real Madrid, hence pushing his retirement further away. However, he stated unequivocally that he would not be leaving Real Madrid.
Why did Kroos retire in 2021?
In 2021, Tony Kroos made the decision to retire from international football following Germany’s exit from Euro 2020. Over 11 years have elapsed since the Real Madrid star first donned the Germany jersey, gathering an impressive 104 caps and contributing 17 goals from the midfield position. His substantial role played a crucial part in Germany’s triumph in the 2014 World Cup.
At the age of 31, Tony Kroos has chosen to bring an end to his international career, opting to focus on club football following a challenging period for Germany. In an emotional social media post, Kroos detailed his reasons for the retirement, citing a desire to dedicate more time to club commitments and be present at home with his wife and three children.
“I’ve played for Germany 106 times. There won’t be another time. I would have dearly wished, and I gave everything again, that there would have been 109 internationals in the end and that this one big title, the European Championship, would have been added at the end.
“I had made the decision to quit after this tournament for a long time. 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. In addition, from now on I will deliberately allow myself breaks that have not existed as a national player for eleven years.
“And moreover, as a husband and dad, I would also like to be there for my wife and my three children.
“It was a great honor 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 fans and supporters who carried and supported me with their applause and cheers. And thanks to all the critics for their extra motivation.
“At the very end I would like to say thank you very much to Jogi Löw. He made me a national player and world champion. He trusted me. We have written a success story for a long time. It was an honor for me, makes it good – good luck and success to Hansi Flick.”
Do you think Toni Kroos went into retirement a bit too early? Tell us what you think in the comments.
