Sergio Busquets, former captain of Spain and Barcelona, will end his professional career in December after the Major League Soccer season.
The 38-year-old Inter Miami midfielder won 32 major trophies in 18 years at Barcelona, including nine La Liga titles and three Champions League victories.
He made 143 appearances for Spain and played a key role in the teams that won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.
Move to Miami and reunion with former teammates
Busquets joined Inter Miami in 2023, reuniting with his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez.
In a video posted on social media, he said: “I feel the time has come to say goodbye to professional football. I have enjoyed almost 20 years living an incredible story I always dreamed of.”
He added: “I am retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all, grateful. Thank you all very much. See you soon.”
Career at Barcelona
Busquets joined Barcelona in 2005 as a youth player and worked his way up to the first team. He made his debut in 2008 under manager Pep Guardiola in a league match against Racing Santander.
He played 722 matches for the club, ranking third in Barcelona’s history for appearances.
He made his international debut in 2009 and retired from Spain in December 2022 as the nation’s third-most capped player.
MLS play-offs and season finale
Inter Miami secured a spot in the MLS play-offs with a 4-0 win over New York City FC on Wednesday.
The 18-team play-offs start on 22 October and conclude with the MLS Cup on 6 December.
