World Cup winner Llorente retires from Spain team at 31

Paris, July 2021 — Atletico Madrid forward Marcos Llorente has announced his retirement from the Spanish national team at the age of 31, in a surprising social media post. The World Cup-winning squad member previously played for Real Madrid before joining Atletico in 2019. Llorente made two World Cup appearances for Spain, starting in two group games during the tournament, but only played six minutes of the rest of the matches, coming on as a substitute for the semi-final win over France.

In his post, Llorente revealed that he had spent a considerable amount of time contemplating his decision to retire from international football. Despite his youth and the possibility of continuing his career with the national team, he decided to bring his time with Spain to a close. Llorente expressed that he understands that many might not comprehend his choice, but ultimately, it is a personal decision that he has carefully thought through.

Llorente's international career spans six years, during which he earned 27 caps for Spain. He finishes his tenure with the national team with one World Cup victory and a strong performance in the semi-final win over France. The Atletico Madrid player cherishes the experiences and friendships he gained during his time with the team, including the camaraderie with the "wonderful group" he played alongside.