Reputed as a tireless midfielder, Rolff debuted for West Germany in 1983 and was part of the UEFA Euro 1984 and the UEFA Euro 1988 squad of his nation. On both occasions he featured twice each in games of West Germany, making also two appearances for the West Germans in their runner-up campaign at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. In total he played in 37 international matches until 1989.