Antonio Rüdiger facts for kids
Rüdiger with Chelsea in 2021
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 3 March 1993 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Berlin, Germany | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | VfB Sperber Neukölln | |||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | SV Tasmania Berlin | |||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Neuköllner Sportfreunde 1907 | |||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Hertha Zehlendorf | |||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Borussia Dortmund | |||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | VfB Stuttgart | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | VfB Stuttgart II | 22 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | VfB Stuttgart | 66 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Roma (loan) | 30 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Roma | 26 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | Chelsea | 133 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2022– | Real Madrid | 86 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Germany U18 | 8 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Germany U19 | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Germany U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Germany U21 | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2014– | Germany | 77 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Antonio Rüdiger (born March 3, 1993) is a German professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back for the Spanish club Real Madrid and for the German national team. Many people think he is one of the best defenders in the world. He is known for his strong playing style, speed, great tackling, and ability to win headers.
Antonio Rüdiger started his career at VfB Stuttgart in Germany. Later, he moved to Roma in Italy. In 2017, he joined Chelsea in England, where he won important trophies like the FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Champions League. In 2022, he moved to Real Madrid in Spain, winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and another Champions League title.
He first played for the German national team in 2014. He helped Germany win the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He has also played in major tournaments like the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Antonio Rüdiger began his journey in football with VfB Stuttgart. He played for their reserve team in the 3. Liga and then for the main team in the Bundesliga.
Playing for VfB Stuttgart
Rüdiger first played for VfB Stuttgart II on July 23, 2011. He then made his debut for the main VfB Stuttgart team in the Bundesliga on January 29, 2012. He signed a longer contract with Stuttgart in April 2013. He played in the final of the DFB-Pokal cup in 2013, but his team lost to Bayern Munich. He played 24 games for the first team that season.
He continued to play for Stuttgart, making 35 appearances in the 2013–14 season. The next season, he played 20 games, but he had some injuries.
Moving to Roma
On August 19, 2015, Rüdiger joined the Italian club Roma. He first joined on a loan deal from Stuttgart for €4 million. A year later, Roma bought him permanently for €9 million.
He played his first game for Roma on September 12, 2015. On January 9, 2016, he scored his first goal for the club. He played 37 games and scored 2 goals during his loan season. Roma officially signed him on May 30, 2016. In his second season at Roma, he played 35 games.
Time at Chelsea
On July 9, 2017, Rüdiger moved to Chelsea in England for about £29 million. He was given the number 2 shirt. He played his first game for Chelsea on August 6, 2017. He scored his first goal for Chelsea in an EFL Cup match against Everton. His first league goal came against Swansea City in November 2017.
On December 22, 2019, Rüdiger spoke out about racist abuse he faced during a match against Tottenham Hotspur. This led to a big discussion about racism in football. Police investigated but found no clear evidence.
On February 1, 2020, in his 100th game for Chelsea, he scored two goals against Leicester City. On May 29, 2021, Rüdiger won his first UEFA Champions League title with Chelsea, beating Manchester City in the final. On April 12, 2022, he scored his first Champions League goal for Chelsea against Real Madrid. He announced he would leave Chelsea after five years on May 20, 2022.
Joining Real Madrid
On June 2, 2022, Real Madrid announced that Rüdiger would join them for free. He signed a four-year contract. He was introduced as a new Real Madrid player on June 20, 2022, and received the number 22 shirt.
He played his first game for Real Madrid on August 10, 2022, in a win against Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored his first goal for the club on September 11, 2022, against Mallorca. On October 11, he scored a dramatic header in the 95th minute against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League, which helped his team draw and move forward in the competition. During this goal, he got a cut on his face that needed 20 stitches. In the 2023–24 season, he won his first La Liga title and his second UEFA Champions League title. He was also named in the Champions League Team of the Season.
International Career
Antonio Rüdiger could play for either Germany or Sierra Leone, as his mother is from Sierra Leone. He chose to play for Germany and was part of their youth teams before joining the senior national team.
He made his debut for the German national team on May 13, 2014. He was supposed to play in UEFA Euro 2016, but he got a knee injury during training and could not participate.
Rüdiger was part of the German team that won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. He played four games in the tournament, including the final match against Chile, which Germany won 1–0. On October 8, 2017, he scored his first goal for Germany in a 5–1 win against Azerbaijan.
He was chosen for Germany's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played in the second group stage match against Sweden, which Germany won. Germany was later knocked out of the tournament. He also played in UEFA Euro 2020, where Germany was eliminated by England. In November 2022, Rüdiger played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but Germany did not make it past the group stage. He was also part of the German squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
How Antonio Rüdiger Plays
Rüdiger usually plays as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in the middle of the field. However, he is a very flexible defender and can also play as a full-back on either side of the field.
He is known for being tall, fast, and strong. He is also good with the ball at his feet. People describe him as a "tough tackler" and a "commanding presence in the air," meaning he's good at winning the ball from opponents and heading it. Besides his physical strength, he is also a leader on the field and can pass the ball well. His speed and understanding of the game help him defend well against individual players and in team defense.
About His Life
Antonio Rüdiger was born in Berlin, Germany. His father, Matthias, is Afro-German, and his mother, Lily, is from Sierra Leone. He grew up in a part of Berlin called Neukölln. His half-brother is a former footballer named Sahr Senesie.
Rüdiger has often spoken out against racism in football. In 2021, he wrote an article called "This Article Will Not Solve Racism in Football," where he shared his experiences with racism and talked about ways to fight it. He is married to Laura Rüdiger and they have a son and a daughter.
Antonio Rüdiger is a practicing Muslim. In March 2024, he posted a photo of himself in traditional Muslim clothing, pointing his index finger to the sky, with a greeting for Ramadan. This gesture is called the 'tauhīd' finger and is a declaration of faith in Islam. A German newspaper editor claimed this gesture was linked to extremism. Rüdiger responded by saying:
"As a devout Muslim, I practice my faith, but I firmly distance myself from any kind of extremism and accusations of Islamism. Violence and terrorism are absolutely unacceptable. I stand for peace and tolerance."
The German Ministry of Interior also stated that the 'tauhīd' finger is a declaration of faith and is not a problem for public safety, even if some extremist groups try to use it for their own purposes. Rüdiger and the German Football Association filed a complaint against the editor, but the case was closed because the statement was considered freedom of expression.
Honours and Awards
Antonio Rüdiger has won many important trophies and awards throughout his career:
With Chelsea
- FA Cup: 2017–18
- UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
- UEFA Europa League: 2018–19
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
- He was also a runner-up in the EFL Cup twice.
With Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2023–24
- Copa del Rey: 2022–23
- Supercopa de España: 2024
- UEFA Champions League: 2023–24
- UEFA Super Cup: 2022, 2024
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2022
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2024
With Germany
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 2017
Individual Awards
- Fritz Walter Medal U19 Gold: 2012 (an award for young German footballers)
- Named in the UEFA Champions League Squad/Team of the Season multiple times.
- Named in the PFA Team of the Year (Premier League) in 2021–22.
- Named in the ESM Team of the Year multiple times.
- Named in the La Liga Team of the Season: 2023–24
- Included in The Athletic European Men's Team of the Season: 2023–24
- Included in the FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2024
- Included in The Best FIFA Men's 11: 2024
- Included in the IFFHS Men's World Team: 2024
Images for kids
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Rüdiger with Chelsea in 2021
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Rüdiger with VfB Stuttgart in 2012
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Rüdiger playing for Chelsea in 2017
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Rüdiger celebrating after winning the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2021
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Rüdiger lined up for Germany in 2018
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Rüdiger para niños
