Real Madrid and Germany international Toni Kroos has admitted that he will miss the 2022 World Cup to give other players a chance.
Toni Kroos retired from international football in July 2021, citing that he wants to focus on his club career and spending time with his family.
With the FIFA World Cup in Qatar approaching, there were reports that efforts are being made in Germany for the veteran midfielder to reconsider his retirement and return to the national team for the world event
Contrary to the media reports that suggested that he retired from international football due to the World Cup being held in Qatar, the midfielder has always voiced his opinion that the decision was made with his family in mind.
In fact, back when he made the news official, just after EURO 2020, he clearly mentioned that it was something that was clear to him “for a long time”.
And recently he stood firm on his stance and cleared the air by saying that the idea to retire early was to give other players a chance, although he will miss the tournament.
“I won’t be at the World Cup, but I am sure when I watch Germany games, I will want to play. Some new players deserve to play more, and I didn’t want the time to come when they told me that you should retire”, Toni Kroos said.
Germany is in World Cup Group E alongside Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica. They will open their World Cup campaign against Japan on 23 November before taking on Spain and Costa Rica.
Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos (born 4 January 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid.
Kroos plays mainly as a central midfielder, but has also been deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in his career.
He is known for his vision, passing, creativity, crossing, and set-piece ability, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time.
Kroos began his senior club career playing for Bayern Munich, where he made his debut at age 17 in 2007.
He was sparingly used, and opted for an 18-month loan spell at fellow Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, where he became a key contributor, and returned to his parent club with an increased profile in 2010.
He made 130 appearances for Bayern Munich, scoring 13 goals before joining Real Madrid.
Prior to joining Real Madrid, Kroos had a deal in place to join Manchester United after agreeing terms with David Moyes.
However, after Moyes was sacked and Louis van Gaal replaced him, the Dutch manager decided against signing Kroos. Around the time of the 2014 World Cup he received a call from Carlo Ancelotti.
Toni Kroos has made 130 appearances, scoring 19 goals for the Los Blancos.
Kroos first made his debut for Germany national team in 2010, and has made 106 appearances, scoring 17 goals.
Toni Kroos has won several trophies in his football career in Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, including the 2014 World Cup with Germany.
