Niklas Süle ends his career. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / DAVID RAMOS

At 30 years old: Niklas Süle retires

Former German national football player Niklas Süle has announced the end of his active career.

07 May 2026

From: dpa/det

"I would like to announce that I will end my career in the summer," said the 30-year-old central defender from Borussia Dortmund on the "Spielmacher" podcast. 360Media.

Süle had been considering retiring from football for some time. The final decision came after BVB's match in Hoffenheim, in which he injured his knee. Following a test by the BVB doctor to determine a possible cruciate ligament tear, things became emotional.

Süle also played for Germany's national team. © AFP / RONNY HARTMANN

"What I felt when our doctor did the drawer test in the Hoffenheim locker room, looked at the physio and shook his head, and the physio also did it and didn't feel anything, was that I went into the shower and cried for ten minutes. In that situation I really thought: 'It's torn,'" Süle reflected on the 30th matchday in the podcast.

After the good news from the MRI, everything was clear.

“When I went for the MRI the next day and received the good news (that it wasn’t a torn cruciate ligament after all), it was a thousand percent clear to me that it was over. I couldn’t imagine anything worse than actually looking forward to the time afterwards – being independent, going on holiday, spending time with my children – but then having to deal with my third cruciate ligament tear,” said Süle, whose career has been repeatedly hampered by injuries.

Borussia Dortmund had previously announced that the club would not extend the defender's contract, which expires at the end of the season, after four years.

Champions League winner with FC Bayern

Süle, 30, who made 49 appearances for the German national team between 2016 and 2023, played his first professional years at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He moved to FC Bayern Munich for the 2017/18 season, where he won five German championships, two DFB-Pokal titles, and the Champions League in 2020. In the summer of 2022, Süle transferred to Borussia Dortmund. Now his time in Dortmund has come to an end.