Czechia striker Patrik Schick has announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, mere hours after his country were knocked out of the World Cup. Schick and his country were on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat to group A opponents and World Cup co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on Wednesday night, a result which has seen Czechia be officially eliminated from the tournament.
Mere hours after the game, Schick – who currently plays for Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen – has announced that he will immediately retire from international football.
“Today, my national team chapter is coming to an end,” the 30-year-old forward said in a statement posted on Instagram. Schick made his international bow in May 2016 against Malta in a friendly fixture, going on to collect 56 caps and net 26 goals.
While he scored on his debut, he failed to find the back of the net at the World Cup this summer, which is being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Schick entered the fray as a substitute in the final Group A clash against co-hosts Mexico, a 3-0 thrashing that sealed Czechia’s exit after they finished rock bottom of the group with just one point.
“I am leaving proud of what I have achieved in the national team jersey,” Schick said. “But at the same time, there is the feeling that Czech soccer has much more to offer than it has shown in recent years.”
Schick also participated in the previous two European Championships. During the 2020 tournament, he shared the top scorer honours with five goals alongside Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
View 2 ImagesPatrik Schick did not score a goal for Czechia at this summer’s World Cup(Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
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Amongst Schick’s most iconic moments was his second strike in a 2-0 victory over Scotland at Euro 2020. Spotting the goalkeeper off his line from just inside the halfway line, he unleashed a long, curling effort that nestled in the back of the net.
Czechia progressed to the quarter-finals in that tournament, but were unable to get out of the group stages in North America.
Despite Schick and Czechia not being able to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup, the striker has enjoyed an impressive career, both on a team and individual level.
Schick was part of the Leverkusen team that won both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal under former manager Xabi Alonso during the 2023/24 season.
The former Roma and RB Leipzig star has also won the Czechia Footballer of the Year award twice in his career, as well as the Golden Boot award at Euro 2020 for his country.
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