Lukas Podolski has retired from the German national team at the age of 31. With 129 appearances, he’s Germany’s third most-capped player, and his 48 goals for his country are also good for number three on the all-time list.
The Poland-born Podolski made his debut for Germany in 2004, and has appeared in every major tournament for Die Nationalmannschaft since. Along with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Podolski was a poster child of Germany's latest golden generation that began with a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup, and is considered one of the most popular German national team players ever.
Known for his pile-driver of a left foot and propensity to pop up with important goals for Germany, Podolski’s partnership with fellow Polish-born Miroslav Klose was one of the most fruitful the Germans have ever known.
Similar to Klose, Podolski has long been known for his national team form rather than sparkling performances for his club sides. Even when Podolski only managed 15 goals over three years at Bayern Munich, Germany boss Joachim Loew kept faith with him, making him first choice for the national team despite his struggles on the club front.
A World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, Poldi's last appearance for the national team was the 3-0 win over Slovakia at Euro 2016. He will continue his club career in Turkey with Galatasaray.
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Thank you fans❤! 12 years, 129 matches. It was amazing! It was great! It was an honour to be part of ???⭐⭐⭐⭐ #poldi pic.twitter.com/sPy7L5AOaB
— Lukas-Podolski.com (@Podolski10) August 15, 2016
