Marcos Llorente has announced his retirement from international football, a little over a month after winning the FIFA World Cup with Spain.
The 31-year-old Llorente, who plays club football for Atletico Madrid, was an unused substitute during Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in extra-time in the final in East Rutherford on July 19.
He made appearances in group-stage games against Cape Verde and Uruguary, and also came on as a substitute during Luis de la Fuente’s side’s 2-0 win over France in the semifinals.
“After much deliberation, I’ve decided to retire from the National Team. I’m aware that I’m still young and maybe if I kept doing things right, I’d still have years to keep playing in this shirt. I know many of you won’t understand and I certainly wouldn’t have understood from the outside either. But it’s a personal decision, very thoughtful and, above all, very heartfelt,” said Llorente in a post on Instagram on Thursday.
Llorente made his Spain debut in 2020 and went on to represent the country 27 times. He was a member of the side in the European Championships in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
The Spaniard revealed that he had made the decision to retire from international football irrespective of his involvement in this summer’s World Cup campaign.
“Regardless of whether I had gone to the World Cup or not, or whether we had won or not, this decision was already made. I can only be infinitely grateful to all the people I have crossed paths with during these years who have made it possible for me and my family to live unique and unforgettable moments,” he added.
“I’ll take everything lived, but especially these last 52 days. With a wonderful group who fought until the end to leave Spain on top. It has been an honor to represent my country and be part of this history.”
Published on Sep 03, 2026