Former Spain and Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets has announced he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season in December.
The 38-year-old Inter Miami midfielder enjoyed an illustrious career, winning 32 major trophies over 18 years with FC Barcelona, including nine La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League crowns.
Internationally, Busquets earned 143 caps for Spain and was a key member of the squads that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 UEFA European Championship.
He joined Inter Miami in 2023, reuniting with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez.
In a farewell message posted on social media, Busquets said:
“I feel the moment has come to say goodbye to my career as a professional footballer. It’s been almost 20 years of living out the incredible story I always dreamed of.
I’m retiring happy, proud, fulfilled, and, above all, grateful. Thank you all very much — see you soon.”
Busquets began his journey at Barcelona in 2005, rising through the youth ranks to the B team, and making his first-team debut in 2008 under Pep Guardiola against Racing Santander.
He went on to make 722 appearances for the club — the third-most in Barcelona’s history.
Busquets debuted for Spain in 2009 and retired from international football in December 2022, ranking as the nation’s third-most capped player at the time.
His club, Inter Miami, recently qualified for the MLS play-offs with a 4-0 victory over New York City FC. The 18-team play-off series kicks off on October 22 and concludes with the MLS Cup final on December 6.
