Germany icon Toni Kroos saw his glittering football career come to an end in dramatic fashion on Friday as Spain scored late in extra time to seal a 2-1 win in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
The 34-year-old announced before the tournament that he would retire after the Euros, having come back into the national team fold following Julian Nagelsmann's appointment as coach last year.
He finished off his club career at Real Madrid with a sixth Champions League title last month, having also lifted a fourth La Liga title, but the dream ending of Euro glory for Germany in their home tournament was dashed.
"I think we can all be proud because everyone has gone one better than last time," the 114-times capped midfielder, who initially quit the Germany team after the Euro 2020 last-16 loss to England, told reporters.
"I'm happy to have helped a little bit to ensure that we in Germany have the ambition and hope to prosper again. I'm confident that the team will achieve this in the future. But it's also part of the game that we're all sad today."
The 2014 World Cup winner, who also won three Bundesliga crowns with Bayern Munich, said the team were hurting "even if we realize in the next few days that we played a good tournament."
Germany fell behind to Dani Olmo's goal at the start of the second half but kept plugging away and levelled on 89 minutes through Florian Wirtz.
The hosts were in the ascendancy but Mikel Merino appeared from nowhere to head in Olmo's cross on 119 minutes.
Kroos added: "We gave everything to not lose."
Nagelsmann lauded Kroos, saying the World Cup group-stage exits at the last two tournaments were now long forgotten partly due to the retiring star: "He showed that the belief in the team was much greater than it was in previous years."
Speculation is rife that Bayern Munich duo Manuel Neuer, 38, and Thomas Müller, 34, will retire from internationals but neither spoke after the game despite usually being media friendly.
Neuer made his 39th appearance at a major tournament, overtaking former team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger and now second in the all-time European list behind Cristiano Ronaldo (52).
Future of Neuer and Müller in the national team unknown
The 2014 World Cup winners Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller have not announced a decision on their future in the national football team following their European Championship exit against Spain.
"I've said I'll think about it after the tournament, it's not today or tomorrow. It could take six months or longer," Neuer said. The home tournament was the eighth consecutive major event for the Bayern Munich goalkeeper as Germany's number one.
He made his 39th appearance at a major tournament, overtaking former team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger and now second in the all-time European list behind Cristiano Ronaldo (52).
Müller made his 131st as a substitute against Spain and emphasized that he would never declare his retirement as an international player, but added: "Realistically, that may well have been my last international match. I will talk to the coach. Maybe the coach and I will realize that it makes more sense."
He said that a conversation with Nagelsmann could happen as early as this weekend.
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