Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Mesut Ozil retires from football

Midfielder, 34, who won World Cup with Germany in 2014, calls time on career due to injury problems

Mesut Ozil, after scoring for Germany during their World Cup-winning campaign in Brazil in 2014, announced his retirement from football on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. AP

Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Mesut Ozil, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, has announced his retirement from football.

The midfielder, 34, who has been playing for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, announced on social media that he is quitting the game.

Ozil said he is cancelling his contract with Basaksehir after injuries meant he has played just eight times this season.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, he said: “Hello everyone, after thoughtful consideration, I’m announcing my immediate retirement from professional football.

“I’ve had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity. But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s become more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football.

“It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions. I want to thank my clubs – Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahce, Basaksehir and the coaches who supported me, plus teammates who have become friends.

“Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest friends. They have been a part of my journey from day one and have given me so much love and support, through the good times and the bad.”

Ozil began his career at Schalke in 2006, playing 30 games for them before moving to Werder Bremen in 2008. He played 71 games for Bremen, scoring 13 goals, before his impressive displays for Germany at the 2010 World Cup – including a pivotal role in the 4-1 thrashing of England in the last 16 – earned him a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

He scored 19 goals in 105 games for Real, winning a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Supercup under Jose Mourinho, before moving to Arsenal for a club record £42.5 million in 2013.

During his time with the Gunners, he won four FA Cups and a Europa League runners-up medal in 2019 but, after the departure of Arsene Wenger, he fell out of favour with Unai Emery and didn't play under Mikel Arteta.

He left the London club for Fenerbahce in 2021 and played just 32 games for them before moving to Instanbul Basaksehir.

Gelsenkirchen-born Ozil, a practising Muslim, chose to play for Germany rather than Turkey and made his international debut in 2009. He won 92 caps and scored 23 goals.

Ozil ended the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign as Germany's top scorer with eight goals. At the finals in Brazil, he played in all seven of their games, scoring the winner in the last-16 win over Algeria and providing an assist in the 7-1 semi-final win over Brazil.

Lifting the trophy after the 1-0 win over Argentina in the final was the highlight of his career.

Mourinho, Ozil's coach during his time at Real Madrid, said of him: "Ozil is unique. There is no copy of him – not even a bad copy."

And his former Real teammate Xabi Alonso, now coach of Bayer Leverkusen, described him as: "The sort of player you don't find these days. He understands the game, sees things, combines and thrives between the lines, unlocking things."

Former Germany teammate Phillip Lahm said: "His vision is probably the best I've seen. He is a dream for strikers."