It may seem unthinkable to a generation of Germany fans, but Bastian Schweinsteiger has called time on his international career. With Die Mannschaft, the 31-year-old won the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and reached the finals of the European Championships in 2008. During his 12-year tenure, the winger-turned-central midfielder scored 24 goals in 120 appearances, the fourth highest tally for his country.
Schweinsteiger started out as a left-back for the Bayern Munich youth team and gradually made his way up the ranks, turning into a flying left-winger. He had to ride out a disappointing start to the big stage as a young player, being a part of Germany's disappointing Euro 2004 campaign.
It was under coach Jurgen Klinsmann that Bavarian came into his element, tearing down the wing and linking up with the forwards. Schweinsteiger, along with his long-time club-mate Phillip Lahm, were penciled in as the future of the side and they went on to become legends in their own right as deputy and captain, respectively.
Schweinsteiger scored a couple of stunning long-rangers in the third-place playoff match against Portugal in 2006. Reserving his best for World Cups, he masterminded the 4-0 demolition of Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup with his incisive passing and driving runs from midfield. More than the flanks, it was in the middle of the park where he found his true calling.
Schweinsteiger was coach Joachim Löw's go-to man ever since the latter took over from Klinsmann, overseeing a new wave of young talent blooming in the country. Germany finally reached their promised land in 2014, winning their first World Cup as a unified nation.
Schweinsteiger delivered a knock-out performance in the final against Argentina. The Manchester United midfielder's last international goal came against Ukraine in the group-stages of Euro 2016.