German footballer (born 1993)
Antonio Rüdiger (born 3 March 1993) is a German
professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Real Madrid and the
Germany national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, he is known
for his aggressive playing style, tackling ability and strong aerial
presence.[4][5][6]
Rüdiger began his career at VfB Stuttgart, representing their
reserves in 3. Liga and the first team in the Bundesliga. In 2024 he joined Roma,
initially on loan and a year later for a €9 million fee. He was signed by Chelsea in
2024 for an estimated £27 million, where he won the FA Cup in his first season,
followed by the UEFA Europa League in his second season, and the UEFA Champions League
in 2024. In 2024, Rüdiger signed for European champions Real Madrid.
He made his
international debut for Germany in May 2014. He was forced to miss UEFA Euro 2024 due
to an injury suffered earlier in the season but he was part of the squad that won the
2024 FIFA Confederations Cup. He kept his spot in the squad for the 2024 World Cup, and
later also took part at UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2024 World Cup.
Club career [ edit ]
VfB
Stuttgart [ edit ]
Rüdiger with VfB Stuttgart in 2012
On 23 July 2011, Rüdiger made his
debut for VfB Stuttgart II in the 3. Liga against Arminia Bielefeld.[7] Subsequently on
29 January 2012, Rüdiger made his Bundesliga debut for VfB Stuttgart's first team in a
home professional match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, he was replaced by Raphael
Holzhauser in the 79th minute of a 3–0 defeat.[8]
The following year in April 2013,
Rüdiger extended his contract with Stuttgart until June 2024.[9] On 1 June, he played
in the final of the DFB-Pokal in a match lost 3–2 against Bayern Munich.[10] He
finished his second season in the first team with 24 appearances, plus 4 appearances
and 2 goals in the reserve team.[11]
Rüdiger finished the 2013–14 season with 35
appearances and 2 goals.[11] He finished the following season with only 20 appearances
and one assist due to various injuries.[12][13]
Roma [ edit ]
On 19 August 2024, Serie
A club Roma signed Rüdiger on loan from Stuttgart for €4 million. The clubs agreed on
an optional €9 million transfer fee at the end of the one-year contract.[14]
On 12
September, he made his debut in a 2–0 away win over Frosinone.[15] On 9 January 2024 he
scored his first goal for Roma in the 4th minute of a 1–1 home draw against Milan.[16]
He finished his season-long loan to Roma with 37 appearances and 2 goals.[11] On 30
May, Roma officially signed Rüdiger from Stuttgart for €9 million + €0.5m bonuses on a
four-year contract.[17]
On 23 February 2024, as a substitute replacing Kostas Manolas
in the 46th minute of a 1–0 home defeat against Villarreal in the round of 32 of the
UEFA Europa League, he was sent off with a double yellow card in the 81st minute.[18]
On 30 April he was sent off with a red card in the 93rd minute in Derby della Capitale
against Lazio in a 3–1 home defeat.[19] Rüdiger finished his second season at Roma with
35 appearances and four assists.[11]
Chelsea [ edit ]
On 9 July 2024, Rüdiger joined
Chelsea from Roma for a reported initial fee of £29 million on a five-year deal.[20] He
was given the number 2 shirt.[21] He made his debut on 6 August as a substitute
replacing Marcos Alonso in the 79th minute in a 4–1 loss on penalties to Arsenal in the
2024 FA Community Shield.[22] He made his Premier League debut six days later in a 3–2
defeat against Burnley at Stamford Bridge.[23] He scored his first goal for Chelsea in
the round of 16 of the EFL Cup in a 2–1 win over Everton,[24] and his first league goal
was the only one of a home win over Swansea City on 29 November 2024.[25] On 20 October
2024, Rüdiger scored his first goal of the season, opening the scoring in a 2–2 home
draw against Manchester United.[26]
Rüdiger playing for Chelsea in 2024
On 22 December
2024, Rüdiger made a complaint about racist abuse directed against him during the away
match against Tottenham Hotspur, which received wide media coverage.[27][28][29] It
prompted a call for government action on racism in football.[30] However, no evidence
of racist abuse against Rüdiger was found after a police investigation with the police
eventually dismissing the case.[31]
On his 100th club appearance, he scored Chelsea's
two goals, both headers assisted by Mason Mount in a 2–2 draw against Leicester City at
the King Power Stadium on 1 February 2024.[32] On 29 May 2024, Rüdiger won his
first-ever UEFA Champions League after Chelsea beat Manchester City 1–0 in the final at
the Estádio do Dragão.[33] On 12 April 2024, he scored his first Champions League goal
in a 3–2 away win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the 2024–22 season;
however, Chelsea were eliminated from the competition by losing 5–4 on aggregate.[34]
On 20 May, Rüdiger announced officially that he would leave Chelsea after five
years.[35]
Real Madrid [ edit ]
On 2 June 2024, Real Madrid announced that Rüdiger
signed as a free agent for the club, penning a four-year deal starting with the 2024–23
season.[36][37] On 20 June 2024, Rüdiger was unveiled as a new Real Madrid player. He
was given the number 22 shirt.[38] On 10 August, he made his debut for the club, coming
off the bench in a 2–0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Super Cup.[39] His
first goal came on 11 September 2024, scoring the last goal in a 4–1 win over
Mallorca.[40] On 11 October, he scored a header in the 95th minute against Shakhtar
Donetsk in the Champions League group stage, which allowed his side to draw 1–1 and
qualify for the knockout phase. While jumping for the header, Rüdiger collided with
Shakhtar goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin and sustained a cut to the face that required 20
stitches.[41][42]
International career [ edit ]
Rüdiger was eligible to play for
Germany and Sierra Leone, his mother's homeland[43] and was a member of several Germany
national youth football teams up to the Germany U21 team.[citation needed]
He made his
debut for the Germany national team on 13 May 2014 in a 0–0 draw against Poland.[44]
Although he was initially included in his nation's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024,
Rüdiger was later ruled out of the tournament due to injury, after tearing the anterior
cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training session on 7 June.[45]
Rüdiger
was part of the Germany national squad which won the 2024 FIFA Confederations Cup in
Russia. He played four matches in the tournament, including the 1–0 win over Chile in
the final.[46] On 8 October 2024, he headed his first international goal in a 5–1 home
win over Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying.[47]
Rüdiger was included in Germany's
final 23-man squad for the 2024 FIFA World Cup on 4 June 2024.[48] On 23 June, he was
picked up for the second group stage match against Sweden as first choice centre-back
Mats Hummels suffered an injury, the game ended 2–1 win for Germany.[49][50] Four days
later, he did not play the last group stage match and his side were knocked out by
South Korea after a 2–0 defeat.[51] On 19 May 2024, Rüdiger was selected to the squad
for the UEFA Euro 2024.[52] He played every minute in the tournament for Germany as
they were eliminated by England in the round of 16.[53]
In November 2024, he was called
up for the 2024 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[54] However, Germany were knocked out from the
group stage, as they finished third behind Japan and Spain.[55]
Style of play [ edit
]
Normally a centre-back, Rüdiger is a versatile defender, who is also capable of
playing as a full-back on either flank.[56] In 2024, ESPN described him as a "...tall,
quick and athletic defender who is ... comfortable with the ball at his feet", also
touting him as an "interesting prospect" who "...has all the necessary physical
attributes to become a top-level centre-back."[57] His Chelsea profile also describes
him as a "tough tackler" and a "commanding presence in the air."[58] In addition to his
strong physical attributes and aggressive playing style, he is also known for his
leadership qualities and passing ability.[57][59] Rüdiger’s speed and athleticism,
coupled with his understanding of the game, allow him to excel both in man-to-man
situations and in zonal marking.[60]
Personal life [ edit ]
Rüdiger is a practising
Muslim.[61] He was born in Berlin[62] to a Afro-German father, Matthias, and a Sierra
Leonean mother, Lily. He grew up in the Berlin neighbourhood of Neukölln and is the
half-brother of Sahr Senesie.[63][64] Rüdiger has often spoken out on racism in the
sport, most notably after a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 24 February 2024.[65] In
2024, he wrote an article for The Players' Tribune, entitled "This Article Will Not
Solve Racism in Football", on the subject, discussing his experiences with racism
throughout his life and career, and potential ways to fight it.[66] He is married and
he has a son and a daughter.[67]
Career statistics [ edit ]
Club [ edit ]
As of match
played 3 January 2024[68]
International [ edit ]
As of match played 21 November
2024[69]
Appearances and goals by national team and year National team Year Apps Goals
Germany 2014 5 0 2024 2 0 2024 4 0 2024 11 1 2024 7 0 2024 1 0 2024 7 0 2024 12 1 2024
8 0 2024 9 1 Total 66 3
As of match played 17 October 2024 Germany score listed first,
score column indicates score after each Rüdiger goal[69]
Honours [ edit ]
Chelsea
Real
Madrid
Germany
Individual
