Mesut zil, a former midfielder for Real Madrid and Arsenal, has given up playing football.
German World Cup champion Mesut zil, a midfielder for Real Madrid and Arsenal, has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 34.
Zil, who was formerly regarded as one of the top players in the world at his position, won four FA Cups with Arsenal between 2014 and 2020 in addition to the La Liga championship with Real Madrid in 2012.
In addition, he played for Germany at the 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups and registered 23 goals in 92 games.
In a post on social media, Zil said, “I’ve had the honor of playing professional football for almost 17 years, and I feel really thankful for the chance.
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.
Prior to relocating to Turkey to play for Fenerbahçe and most recently, Istanbul Başakşehir, Mesut zil began his professional career in Germany with Schalke and Werder Bremen. He then spent three years at Real Madrid and eight years with Arsenal.
In each of his three seasons with Madrid, he registered at least 20 assists, solidifying his reputation as a brilliant distributor and playmaker. His 19 Premier League assists for Arsenal during the 2015–16 season are just one short of the league mark shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Despite apparently being one of the team’s highest-paid players and joining North London for a then-club-record $54.8 million, zil scored 44 goals in 254 appearances for Arsenal before being cut from Mikel Arteta’s squad in his last season.
In the final two years of his Turkish career, he was unable to add to his collection of championships, and his playing time with Başakşehir was constrained by injury issues.
Zil, who was five times named Germany’s player of the year, participated in every match of his nation’s World Cup campaigns in 2010 and 2014, the latter of which saw him play a key role in the squad’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the championship game.
Before announcing his retirement from international competition due to racism and disrespect, he played his final match for the national team during the 2018 World Cup.
The German Football Federation expressed regret that Mesut zil felt that he had not been adequately protected as a target of racist slurs in a lengthy statement explaining the decision. zil, who is of Turkish descent, said in the statement that he felt “German when we win” but like “an immigrant when we lose.”
Zil expressed his gratitude to his supporters—fans, friends, and family—in a post on social media on Wednesday.
You can be sure that you will occasionally hear from me on my social media accounts, but right now, I’m looking forward to everything that is ahead of me with my lovely wife Amine and my two lovely kids, Eda and Ela.
