Former Germany international Lukas Podolski retires at the age of 40

Former Germany international Lukas Podolski has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40. The World Cup winner, who was part of the Germany squad that lifted the 2014 World Cup, decided to retire after recently becoming the owner of Polish club Górnik Zabrze. ‘One story ends. One era begins. World Cup champion Lukas Podolski will end his career this week,’ Górnik Zabrze wrote on Instagram on Saturday. ‘He will become the owner of his boyhood club Górnik Zabrze. Thank you for everything, Poldi, and good luck in his new role!’ Podolski, affectionately known as Poldi, previously plied his trade for a number of clubs in Germany, including 1. FC Köln and Bayern Munich. In Germany with the Billy Goats, Podolski registered 181 appearances and 79 goals. While at Bayern Munich, he was part of the squad that won the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in the 2007-08 season. Podolski also enjoyed spells with Arsenal, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Vissel Kobe before deciding to hang up his boots at Górnik Zabrze. He secured the final trophy of his career by winning the Polish Cup in the 2025/2026 season.