WORLD Cup winner and FC Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets is set to retire from football after the conclusion of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season in December.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, the 38-year-old is best known for his 18-year-long association with the Catalan giants after joining the team’s youth ranks aged 15.
He made a whopping 722 appearances for Barca – the third most in the club’s history – winning 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, and three UEFA Champions Leagues.
He also clocked up 143 appearances for Spain and was a key cog in the side that won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.
Famed as an exceptional reader of the game with an unrivalled temperament, Busquets was one-third of a formidable midfield trio for club and country which included fellow legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
READ MORE: World Cup winner and Barcelona football legend Andres Iniesta retires
Underrated by many, former national team manager Vicente del Bosque famously said of the 6ft 3in Spaniard: “If you watch the whole game, you won’t see Busquets – but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game.”
After leaving Barcelona in 2023, Busquets linked up with former teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami, the MLS side co-owned by former England football star David Beckham.
In a video posted on social media, an emotional Busquets said: “I feel like the time has come to say goodbye to my career as a professional footballer. It’s been almost 20 years of enjoying this incredible story I always dreamed of.”
He added: “I’m retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all, grateful. Thank you all very much, see you soon.”
Busquets’ final hoorah will be Inter Miami’s campaign in the MLS play-offs, which begin on October 22 and culminate with the MLS Cup on December 6.
Inter Miami are the current 11/2 betting favourites to claim the title.
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