Footballer Mats Hummels bids adieu in brief ceremony spanning three minutes. - Mats Hummels has announced his departure.
German Defender Mats Hummels Hangs Up His Boots: Final Appearance with AS Roma
In a poignant end to an illustrious career, Mats Hummels, the World Cup-winning German defender, officially retired from professional football during his swansong performance for AS Roma, against FC Turin on May 26, 2025.
Hummels, 35, stepped onto the field for the last time in a 90th-minute substitute appearance, with AS Roma leading 2-0. The extra three minutes of injury time proved to be his final moments as a professional player.
Throughout the game, AS Roma's trainer, Claudio Ranieri, opted to field a stronger lineup, considering Champions League qualification. Hummels, who had spent much of the game on the bench, seemed to no longer be a part of Ranieri's first choice players. However, he was accorded a fond send-off by his teammates, who lifted him seven times after the final whistle.
While AS Roma's fiery battle with Juventus Turin for Champions League qualification resulted in them finishing fifth, SSC Napoli claimed the championship ahead of Inter Milan.
Having joined AS Roma in September 2024, Hummels' time with the Italians was limited to one year. Having departed Borussia Dortmund at the end of the preceding season, his move to Roma may have been prompted by a controversial interview with "Sport-Bild" in spring 2024, where he indirectly criticised then-BVB coach Edin Terzic.
Having previously won multiple Bundesliga titles and the 2014 World Cup with Germany, Hummels' one season with AS Roma proved bittersweet. He struggled early on, scoring an own goal in his first away game against AC Florence. Under Ranieri, Hummels remained a fringe player, starting only sporadically. After a year in Rome, he announced his retirement in early April, citing a loss of motivation for the intense training required for professional football.
Over the course of his career, Hummels won five German championships and three DFB Cups. He was a key player in the successful Borussia Dortmund team under coach Jürgen Klopp, helping the club clinch back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012, as well as the 2012 DFB Cup. His crowning achievement remained winning the World Cup title in 2014 in Brazil, where he scored the vital winning goals against France and Portugal.
In 78 international games, Hummels scored five goals. He expressed gratitude to AS Roma and its fans for the "great honor" of playing for the club, and he looks forward to the upcoming documentary, "Hummels - La Finale," documenting his time at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Commission has not yet adopted a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, but Mats Hummels, the World Cup-winning German defender, who has recently retired from professional football, might have benefited from such legislation during his time as a player, particularly in his last season with AS Roma. Despite his struggles on the pitch and a bittersweet end to his career, sports analysts can still discuss Hummels' impressive career and contribution to the world of sports, including his achievements in football.
