Germany captain retires from international football

The 30-year-old Bayern Munich defender, who can also play in midfield, played 113 times for Germany. Lahm will continue playing for his club side, where he renewed his contract until 2018 shortly before the World Cup.

His retirement from the national side was confirmed by the German FA (DFB).

"I am happy and grateful that the end of my career end with the national team coincides with winning the World Cup in Brazil," he said in an open letter on the DFB website.

Lahm's international career started in February 2004 with a 2-1 win over Croatia and ended with the 1-0 win over Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Lahm now plans to focus his attention on the club side that he joined aged 11 and has been captain of since 2011.

"There is hardly a better farewell than to be a world champion at the peak of your career," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

Probably the best right back nowadays, Germany national team won't have it without this man.

Respect to him. He's like Iniesta and Janetti. No one can dislike them....

Amazing player & Captain. Hope Germany do well w/o him.

Why?

In those 113 games, he mostly played as RB, LB and CB, had 10 yellow cards and ZERO red card... what a role model

He can easily go on for another 4 years . Well this is sucks .

Good move from him ! sad for football :/

There is no replacement for Lahm....

Schweinsteiger can take up captaincy, but Lahm's quality all throughout the pitch is unmatched. :(

A model on the pitch but a real prick off the pitch...

why would you say that Keisuke?

Kind of know why , because he pushed Ballack out of the Germany national team and did not want to give captaincy back to him . Low's treatment of Ballack was very shameful .