Former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets will retire from football at the end of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, his club Inter Miami confirmed on Thursday.
Busquets, 37, came through Barcelona’s academy and spent 18 years at the club, making his senior debut in 2008. He went on to play over 700 games, winning nine La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies, before moving to Miami in 2023 to reunite with former teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez.
For Spain, Busquets earned 143 caps, anchoring the midfield during the country’s golden era that delivered the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2012.
“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,” Busquets said in a farewell video on Instagram.
Widely regarded as one of the finest defensive midfielders of his generation, Busquets added a Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield in the U.S. He will close his career with Miami’s upcoming MLS playoff campaign.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Published on Sep 26, 2025
