Former national football player Niklas Süle announced that he will be retiring from professional football this summer. The 30-year-old defender shared this decision with Sky Sport on Thursday, noting that his contract with Borussia Dortmund expires in June, and the next two remaining Bundesliga matches will be his final appearances.
Süle’s decision to hang up his boots crystallized after a knee injury he sustained in April during a match against TSG Hoffenheim. Although doctors did not confirm a complete tear of the cruciate ligament, Süle realized that he could no longer accept the risk of suffering a third such tear, particularly since he had historically dealt with two previous ligament injuries-one at Hoffenheim and another at FC Bayern.
Since joining Borussia Dortmund in 2022, Süle carved out a notable career. He previously played for FC Bayern, where he achieved five league titles and two DFB-Pokal victories. His accolades also include a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and a Champions League title in 2020. Süle made 49 appearances for the German national team. While he mentioned that earlier, in 2025, he had pondered retiring, the decision is now definitive.