Marcos Llorente has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to the Atletico de Madrid defender’s Spain career at the age of 31.
Llorente, who won the World Cup with Spain, confirmed his decision on Thursday after collecting 27 caps for his country. He made his senior international debut in 2020 and was included in the Spain squad that beat Argentina 1-0 to lift the World Cup in July.
The former Real Madrid player did not feature in the final, remaining on the bench as Spain secured the trophy, but he reflected positively on his time with the national team and the group that delivered the country’s triumph.
Writing on Instagram, Llorente acknowledged that his decision could come as a surprise because he is still relatively young and might have had more years ahead of him in a Spain shirt.
“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,”Llorentewrote on Instagram.
He said the choice had been made after careful thought and was guided by his personal feelings rather than a lack of opportunity to continue playing at international level.
“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.”
Llorente also used his statement to thank his Spain team-mates and look back on the country’s successful World Cup campaign.
The defender said he would remember everything he had experienced during his international career, with particular emphasis on the final 52 days of Spain’s run to the title.
“I’ll cherish everything I’ve experienced, but above all, these last 52 days,”Llorente said.
He praised the squad’s determination and unity, saying the players continued to fight through to the end with the aim of placing Spain at the top of world football.
“With a wonderful group that fought until the very end to put Spain at the top. And that’s exactly what they did.”
Llorente’s retirement means his involvement with Spain ends after four years at senior level, 27 appearances and a World Cup winner’s medal. Although he was not selected to play in the final against Argentina, he formed part of the squad that completed the tournament’s decisive 1-0 victory and secured Spain’s place at the top.
