Mesut Ozil, a World Cup champion midfielder for Germany, has declared his retirement at the age of 34.
The former Real Madrid and Arsenal player played for Germany in the 2014 World Cup-winning squad in Brazil.
In the midst of a political debate in Germany about the influx of migrants and refugees as well as after backlash over a photo with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, he announced his retirement from the national team in 2018, claiming he had experienced “racism and disrespect” because of his Turkish ancestry.
“I am formally announcing my immediate retirement from the NFL. For over 17 years, I’ve had the honor of playing professional football, and I’m immensely grateful for the chance, Ozil wrote in a message posted to his social media sites on Wednesday.
But it has been increasingly obvious in recent weeks and months that it is time to quit the major stage of football after also experiencing some injuries.
Ozil thanked his supporters for their “unwavering love, no matter the situation or the team I was representing.”
Following Germany’s elimination from the 2018 World Cup in the first round, he claimed to have faced “racist” attacks.
When Ozil left the German national team, he declared, “I am an immigrant when we lose, but I am German when we win.”
Ozil began his professional career in Germany with Schalke, his hometown club, before impressing at Werder Bremen and earning a berth on the German national team.
Outstanding World Cup 2010 achievements for Germany were followed by a transfer to Real Madrid. After that, he spent eight years with Arsenal.
In 2021, Ozil left Arsenal for the Turkish club Fenerbahce when his relationship with Arsenal ended. He had a falling out with manager Mikel Arteta and was shut out of the Arsenal squad for months before to his departure.
The team also distanced itself from Ozil after he expressed support for Muslims in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. As a result of his remarks, an Arsenal game was taken off Chinese television.
With Real Madrid, Ozil won the Spanish La Liga championship in 2012, while with Arsenal, he won four FA Cups in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020.
In 2022, he joined Basaksehir. In 92 appearances for Germany, the German international with Turkish ancestry has 23 goals.
