Mesut Ozil

Mesut Özil, the Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, has announced his retirement from professional football aged ...

Named Germany’s player of the year on five occasions, Özil played in all his country’s World Cup games in 2010 and 2014, when he was an instrumental part of the team that beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 final. He played his final game for the national team at the 2018 World Cup before announcing his international retirement, citing racism and disrespect. He failed to win more silverware in the final two years of his career in Turkey and had limited playing time with Başakşehir due to injury problems. He was also part of the Germany squad at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups and scored 23 goals in 92 appearances for his country. Starting his club career in Germany with Schalke and Werder Bremen, Özil spent three years at Real Madrid and eight with Arsenal before moving to Turkey to play for Once regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position, Özil won the La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2012 and four FA Cup titles with Arsenal between 2014 and 2020.

Another iconic footballer has hung up their boots with Mesut Ozil announcing his retirement on March 22, 2023.

I had spoken to him at length on the telephone, he explained his plans and that he has faith in me — that is what I need as a player. “Wenger gives me the faith and I can develop further. "I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity. I know what I can do and I know I could make the grade with any club because I’m so convinced in myself, but if I don’t feel people have faith in me, then that is why I had to leave and at Arsenal, I feel I have this fully." Ozil played 92 games for Germany prior to his international retirement in 2018 and won the 2014 World Cup with the side. Despite individual and club success, Ozil opted to join the Gunners in a shock move he would put down to a lack of faith from the Real Madrid heirarchy.

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil, who won the World Cup in 2014, retired from soccer Wednesday at the age of 34.

The club also distanced itself from Özil for posting his support for Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China, comments which led to an Arsenal game being pulled from Chinese television. After disagreements with then-manager Unai Emery and later with his successor Mikel Arteta, Özil was left out of the Arsenal squad before his departure. Standout performances for Germany at the 2010 World Cup were followed by a move to Madrid.

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil, who won the World Cup in 2014, retired from soccer Wednesday at the age of 34.

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil, who won the World Cup in 2014, retired from soccer Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at the age of 34. Standout performances for Germany at the 2010 World Cup were followed by a move to Madrid. His international career ended abruptly in 2018 when he quit the Germany squad citing “racism and disrespect.”

For the majority of their existence, The Wombles were the finest thing to come out of deepest Bulgaria. That is until Mesut Ozil picked up the ball in the ...

And Exhibit A in our argument will forever be his unreal solo winner in deepest Bulgaria. That is until Mesut Ozil picked up the ball in the dying minutes of a Champions League tie in November 2016. But, in this instance, a long pass from Mohammed Elneny was the prelude to genius. They always make the optimal solution. That was Ozil in a nutshell; despite a number of detractors who were reduced to a frothing mess at his laidbackness, the Germany international always possessed the magic in his feet to shut them up. But Ozil deserves to be remembered as one of the leading talents of his generation.