Thomas Muller strongly hinted at his impending retirement from international competition when he called Germany’s World Cup performance in Qatar a “utter disaster.”
While Hansi Flick’s team triumphed in their final match, defeating Costa Rica 4-2, Japan’s unexpected 2-1 victory against Spain resulted in yet another World Cup group-stage exit.
Germany had not lost in the group stage at a World Cup since 1954 before the 2018 event in Russia, but they have now suffered an early exit in the last two competitions.
Muller, a member of the team that triumphed in Brazil in 2014, acknowledged that he was unsure of his next steps and that this might be his last participation on the world scene.
“It’s an absolute disaster! I don’t know what happens next,” he told ARD after the match.
“If this was my last game, then I would like to say a few words to the German football fans.”
He continued: “It was an enormous pleasure, dear people. We experienced great moments. I tried to keep my heart on the pitch in every game.
“I have always delivered commitment and sometimes there were tears of joy from my actions, sometimes the spectators also had pain in their faces.
“Even if I did not succeed in all actions, I did it with love. I’ll have to see about everything else.”
The 33-year-old has earned 121 caps for Germany, joint-fourth all-time for his nation, netting 44 goals, putting him seventh in the scoring charts.