Kimmich, 29, will lead Germany in their upcoming Nations League matches against Hungary on Saturday and the Netherlands on September 10.
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz have been chosen as vice-captains, providing support to Kimmich in his new leadership role.
Despite not having been the permanent captain for either Bayern Munich or Germany before, Kimmich has often stepped up as captain when others were unavailable. He last led Germany in a friendly last year.
The German Football Association (DFB) announced that Kimmich has worn the captain’s armband 17 times during his 91 international appearances, although some of those were when he took over the role mid-match.
Gündogan was named captain ahead of Germany’s Euro 2024 campaign, where the team reached the quarterfinals before being knocked out by eventual champions Spain.
Gündogan retired from international football last month after leaving Barcelona to return to Manchester City.
Germany’s head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, described Kimmich as the “logical successor” to Gündogan as captain.
Nagelsmann also revealed that Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen will replace Manuel Neuer as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper as the team prepares for the 2026 World Cup.
The squad selected for the Nations League includes only one uncapped player, signaling Nagelsmann’s intent to maintain stability despite the recent high-profile retirements of other key players, including Neuer, Thomas Müller, and Toni Kroos, who retired from all football after Euro 2024.