SUMMARY
- Toni Kroos shocked soccer fans with his retirement in 2021,
- Kroos has represented Germany at various youth levels before making his senior debut.
The German midfielder Toni Kroos is widely regarded as one of the most capable players to embrace the international stage. In addition to playing for Germany at the highest level, he also plays for the Spanish side Real Madrid at the club level.
Toni Kroos lifted the FIFA World Cup with Germany in 2014. He made his debut on the international stage for his country in March 2010. However, the veteran shocked everyone when he decided to announce a sudden retirement in the middle of the year 2021.
World Cup winner Toni Kroos has announced his retirement from international football. One of the best! 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/TFvyO87Ylw
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) July 2, 2021
As per the earlier reports, the main reason behind his retirement was deemed to be his below-par performance in the UEFA Euro competition in 2021. The midfielder was severely criticized for not delivering on the expected front. His team crashed out of the tournament.
Toni Kroos had over the years set quite high standards for performance. Maybe the dip in form at the prestigious competition forced him to hang up his boots at that time. However, he remains one of the best players ever to don the German shirt.
Toni Kroos’ stats for the German national team
The midfielder Toni Kroos has played a total of around 106 matches for Germany on the international stage till now. The player has also earlier represented Germany’s under-19, under-17, and under-21 teams at the youth setup. His performances there earned him a national call-up.
In his 106 matches for Germany at the highest level, he has managed to net 17 goals. The midfielder’s game-awareness and passing vision make him one of the most complete midfielders in the soccer world. He has further scored a tally of 23 goals for Germany’s youth sides.
Toni Kroos decides to come out of retirement to play for Germany
Tini Kroos has recently been the talk of the town in the soccer hierarchy. The 34-year-old has surprised everyone by deciding to come out of his retirement. Reports suggest that the midfielder has taken this step as he wants to represent the German national team in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024.
OFFICIAL : Toni Kroos comes back from retirement for the German National Team 🇩🇪🤍 pic.twitter.com/ljYJPAz61Q
— Real Madrid Xtra (@RealMadridXtra) February 22, 2024
The competition will be played in Kroos’ home country of Germany. According to reports the current manager of the German national side Julian Nagelsmann has played a crucial role in Kroos’ return from retirement. He is termed as the main figure in convincing the player to repudiate his retirement.
However, even after retirement which he announced earlier, the 34-year-old continued to play at the club level for La Liga giants Real Madrid. So, fitness doesn’t stand a chance of getting his wish for an international return. German fans would hope that he performs on the same level as he did pre-retirement.
