It was unexpected, but true to the German team he has led with distinction since 2010, Philipp Lahm’s international retirement has been meticulously planned.
At the age of 30, with the European Championships two years away and then Russia 2018, four more years of service to Die Mannschaft was anticipated.
He is the best full-back in the world, the team’s captain and one of the squad’s most experienced players – from Joachim Low’s point of view he would want Lahm’s reliability and resilience.
Lahm is also Germany’s fourth most-capped player with 113, just 37 short of Lothar Matthaus’ all-time record.
A figure that would have been breached had Lahm continued with the national team.
So, why is he doing it?
Firstly, the pursuit of personal glory appears to mean little to Lahm.
Had this been all about him, he would have made the announcement prior to the World Cup as opposed to waiting until after the tournament had concluded.
Instead he put the team and the collective ambitions of his colleagues first.
But then if he’s being totally selfless surely it would be more beneficial to the team for him to stay?
The German defence instantly looks a little more vulnerable without his name on the teamsheet.
By his own admission, Lahm was not at his best in Brazil.
He had one very poor display against Ghana in the group stage and was unconvincing again as Algeria took them to extra-time in the last 16.
Both those performances were with him in central midfield and once Low moved him to right-back, both he and Germany instantly looked more comfortable.
But Lahm knows his body, and perhaps he realises that he simply cannot continue to compete at the level he wants to for both Bayern Munich and Germany.
And, let’s be honest, both those sides are operating at a pretty high level.
Germany have an abundance of talent potentially ready to make the step up: Wolfburg’s Sebastian Jung, Freiburg’s Oliver Sorg and Antonio Rudiger of Stuttgart his three most likely replacements.
Lahm expects the best. In his interview with Sport360° last month it was not, “we can win the World Cup”, it was “we will win the World Cup.”
He is going out on a high but perhaps he knows and fears if he continues to play club and international football those highs may never be experienced again.
