An internal combustion engine includes a throttle valve, an EGR passage, an EGR valve, a valve mechanism that adjusts opening and closing characteristics of an intake valve or an exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine, and a controller that controls the throttle valve, the EGR valve and the valve mechanism, based on request torque that is requested of the internal combustion engine. The controller is configured to execute evacuation traveling control that operates the throttle valve to fully open, calculates a target intake air flow amount for achieving the request torque based on an effective opening area of the EGR valve which is stuck, and operates the valve mechanism in accordance with the target intake air flow amount, in at least one time period while the request torque is reducing when the EGR valve is stuck in an open state.