Sept 1 (Reuters) - Germany defender ⁠Antonio Rudiger announced his retirement from international football on Tuesday, ⁠ending a 12-year career with the national team so that ‌he can focus on his club career and make way for the next generation of players.

The 33-year-old centre back earned 86 caps after making his senior debut ​in 2014, establishing himself as a mainstay of ⁠the Germany defence across ⁠three World Cups and multiple European Championships.

"After some time to reflect, the ⁠time ‌has come for me to end my career with the national team and make way for the younger generation," ⁠Rudiger wrote on Instagram.

"Even though we didn't win a ​major title in ‌recent tournaments and had to endure some painful defeats, this ⁠time has been ​an extremely special chapter for me, one that will shape me forever."

Rudiger was not a part of Germany's 2014 World-Cup winning team.

Germany suffered group-stage ⁠exits at the 2018 and 2022 World ​Cups before being eliminated by Paraguay in the round of 32 at the 2026 tournament, a match that proved to be his final appearance ⁠for the national team.

Born in Berlin, Rudiger progressed through the youth systems of Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart before launching a successful club career that took him to Roma, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

He won the ​Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 before ⁠joining Real Madrid in 2022, adding LaLiga and Champions League titles to ​his collection in 2024.

"A new chapter is ‌now beginning for me, one in ​which I will focus entirely on my club," Rudiger said.

(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)