The 29-year-old defender speaks about Germany and the World Cup as well as his time at Chelsea and his move to Madrid in an interview that appears in The Observer [The Guardian newspaper's Sunday edition]. “Chelsea was a big, big, big chapter. But Real Madrid is the cream of football. In the last nine years they have won five Champions Leagues, that says it all," said Rüdiger.

Benzema and Modric are some of the names that appear in his conversation with the British Sunday player. “As a striker, the way he moves, his ability is… wow!” he says of the Frenchman. From the Croatian, he recalled the pass with the outside that he gave to Rodrygo in the game between Chelsea and Real Madrid in the last Champions League. "It's normal for him, I rarely see him pass with the left".

Ancelotti is the one who has most impressed Rüdiger: "He is calm. He belongs to a generation that I never imagined would train me. Already, the impact is astounding. I had never seen anyone treating people in such a manner. He stopped by my house and sat with my family on the first day I arrived for the presentation. This is not normal. No coach has ever done this for me."

Despite not being one of the top favorites for the World Cup, Rüdiger believes that the German team must be included in the pools: "Honestly, if we talk about favorites, we have to talk about fitness. You took a look at teams like Brazil and France prior to the most recent national team break. But we have a great team and a great country. You should never write us off. Anything is possible."

Rüdiger made his international debut in May 2014, eight and a half years ago, and has played 54 matches with the Mannschaft, an experience that forces him to take on responsibilities in the dressing room directed by Hansi Flick: “I am one of the players who has been around the longest here. I have to be one of the leaders."