Antonio Rüdiger

VfB Stuttgart

On 23 July 2011, Rüdiger made his debut for VfB Stuttgart II in the 3. Liga against Arminia Bielefeld. Subsequently on 29 January 2012, Rüdiger made his Bundesliga debut for VfB Stuttgart's first team in a home professional match against Borussia Mönchengladbach, he was replaced by Raphael Holzhauser in the 79th minute of a 3–0 defeat. The following year in April 2013, Rüdiger extended his contract with Stuttgart until June 2017. On 1 June, he played in the final of the DFB-Pokal in a match lost 3–2 against Bayern Munich. He finished his second season in the first team with 24 appearances, plus 4 appearances and 2 goals in the reserve team. Rüdiger finished the 2013–14 season with 35 appearances and 2 goals. He finished the following season with only 20 appearances and one assist due to various injuries.

Roma

On 19 August 2015, Serie A club Roma signed Rüdiger on loan from Stuttgart for €4 million. The clubs agreed on an optional €9 million transfer fee at the end of the one-year contract. On 12 September, he made his debut in a 2–0 away win over Frosinone. On 9 January 2016 he scored his first goal for Roma in the 4th minute of a 1–1 home draw against Milan. He finished his season-long loan to Roma with 37 appearances and 2 goals. On 30 May, Roma officially signed Rüdiger from Stuttgart for €9 million + €0.5m bonuses on a four-year contract. On 23 February 2017, as a substitute replacing Kostas Manolas in the 46th minute of a 1–0 home defeat…

Rüdiger was eligible to play for Germany and Sierra Leone, his mother's homeland and was a member of several German national youth football teams up to the Germany U21 team. He made his debut for the Germany national team on 13 May 2014 in a 0–0 draw against Poland. Although he was initially included in his nation's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, Rüdiger was later ruled out of the tournament due to injury, after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a training session on 7 June. Rüdiger was part of the Germany national squad which won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. He played four matches in the tournament, including the 1–0 win over Chile in the final. On 8 October 2017, he headed his first international goal in a 5–1 home win over Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying.

Rüdiger was included in Germany's final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 4 June 2018. On 23 June, he was picked up for the second group stage match against Sweden as first choice centre-back Mats Hummels suffered an injury, the game ended 2–1 win for Germany. Four days later, he did not play the last group stage match and his side were knocked out by South Korea after a 2–0 defeat. On 19 May 2021, Rüdiger was selected to the squad for the UEFA Euro 2020. He played every minute in the tournament for Germany as they were eliminated by England in the round of 16.

In November 2022, Rüdiger was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, Germany were…

Normally a centre-back, Rüdiger is a versatile defender, who is also capable of playing as a full-back on either flank. In 2015, ESPN described him as a "tall, quick and athletic defender who is ... comfortable with the ball at his feet", also touting him as an "interesting prospect" who "has all the necessary physical attributes to become a top-level centre-back". His Chelsea profile described him as a "tough tackler" and a "commanding presence in the air". In addition to his strong physical attributes and aggressive playing style, he is also known for his leadership qualities and passing ability. Rüdiger’s speed and athleticism, coupled with his understanding of the game, allow him to excel both in man-to-man situations and in zonal marking.

Rüdiger was born in Berlin to an Afro-German father, Matthias, and a Sierra Leonean mother, Lily. He was named after Spanish actor Antonio Banderas. He grew up in the Berlin neighbourhood of Neukölln and is the half-brother of Sahr Senesie. Rüdiger has often spoken out on racism in the sport, most notably after a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 24 February 2020. In 2021, he wrote an article for The Players' Tribune, entitled "This Article Will Not Solve Racism in Football", on the subject, discussing his experiences with racism throughout his life and career, and potential ways to fight it. He is married to Laura Rüdiger and he has a son and a daughter. Rüdiger is a practising Muslim. In 2020, Rüdiger gave a like to an Islamistic diatribe against French President Emmanuel Macron on Instagram. He later issued an apology for not reading the full post which was written in Cyrillic. In March 2024, Rüdiger posted a photo of himself in a white ihram robe and on a prayer rug, with his index finger of his right hand pointing to the sky, with a greeting for Ramadan in the caption. Former editor-in-chief of the Bild Zeitung, a German tabloid, Julian Reichelt commented on the athlete's tawhid gesture claiming it was called the 'IS finger' by the Office for the Protection of Constitution and regarding as a sign of Islamism. In response to this, the player agreed to an interview, with the same tabloid, saying: "As a devout Muslim, I practice my faith, but I firmly distance myself…