Antonio Rüdiger is writing another chapter at Real Madrid: The 33-year-old has extended his expiring contract and is heading into his fifth season with Los Blancos.
Antonio Rüdiger has been with Real Madrid since 2022—and the 33-year-old will continue to play for the club next season as well. On Tuesday, Real Madrid announced that they had extended the contract of the 83-time German international for another year. His contract was originally set to expire on June 30. “I’m not done here yet. Extending my contract with Real Madrid is a moment of pride, but above all, it’s a commitment to make a difference together with my teammates,” the defender wrote on social media.
Rüdiger has had an up-and-down season. The Berlin native, as in the 2024–25 season, frequently battled injury problems. With 26 appearances across all competitions, Rüdiger didn’t even play in half of the competitive matches last season—he missed a total of 25 games due to knee and thigh injuries alone. “Maybe some people wrote me off after my injuries, but that only motivated me even more. So thanks for that,” said Rüdiger.
Rüdiger is also willing to make a concession to stay
Due to his injuries, his future in the Spanish capital was long considered uncertain—especially since the defense was significantly rejuvenated last summer with the signings of Raúl Asencio, Álvaro Carreras, and Dean Huijsen. However, once he was back to full strength, both Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa relied on the 33-year-old’s experience. Apparently, new coach José Mourinho is counting on him as well.
Rüdiger is now also willing to make a concession to stay in Madrid. The center back had recently been hoping for a contract longer than just one year. Since his transfer from Chelsea FC, Rüdiger has made 182 appearances for Los Blancos and, among other achievements, celebrated the 2024 Champions League victory with Real. Most recently, however, Real Madrid and Rüdiger went two seasons without a title. “We’re going through a challenging phase right now. The setbacks have put us to the test, but this is exactly where I want to be,” Rüdiger explained.
With his immediate future secured, the defender can now focus on the World Cup with Germany. In the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the Real Madrid defender is participating in the World Cup finals for the third time, following appearances in 2018 and 2022. The goal for 2026 is to advance past the group stage for the first time, which is now highly likely thanks to the lopsided victory over Curaçao in the very first match. Rüdiger came on as a substitute in the 7-1 win.