Marcos Llorente Announces Retirement from Spain's National Football Team at 31
Marcos Llorente's International Career and Retirement
Retirement Announcement
Sept 3 (Reuters) - World Cup winner Marcos Llorente announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, ending a Spain career that yielded 27 caps.
Career Highlights
Debut and World Cup Victory
The Atletico Madrid defender, 31, made his senior team debut for Spain in 2020 and was part of the squad that beat Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup in July, although he remained on the bench in the final.
Llorente's Personal Statement
"I realise that I’m still young and that, perhaps, if I continued to perform well, I’d still have years left to play in this jersey," Llorente wrote on Instagram.
"I know many of you won’t understand this, and I probably wouldn’t have understood it either if I were looking at it from the outside. But it’s a personal decision—one I’ve thought through very carefully and, above all, one that comes from the heart."
Reflections and Gratitude
Thanking Teammates
The former Real Madrid player thanked his teammates and reflected on Spain's triumphant World Cup campaign.
Memorable Moments
World Cup Memories
"I’ll cherish everything I’ve experienced, but above all, these last 52 days," Llorente said.
"With a wonderful group that fought until the very end to put Spain at the top. And that’s exactly what they did."
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru)
