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MIAMI: 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 said on Thursday.
Busquets came up through the Barcelona youth ranks and spent 18 years overall at the club, making his senior debut in 2008, before joining Miami in 2023 where he was reunited with former teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.
He played 143 times for the national team and was part of the side that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the European Championship two years later in Poland and Ukraine.
“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 video posted on Instagram.
“I’m retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all, grateful... Thank you all very much, see you soon.”
Widely considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders ever to have played the game, Busquets made more than 700 appearances for Barcelona, winning nine LaLiga crowns and three Champions League trophies among his collection of major trophies with the club.
After moving to the US, the 37-year-old won the Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield and will play the final few matches of his career in the MLS playoffs.

RIYADH: Al-Hilal recovered from an early concession to beat Al-Okhdood 3-1 at Kingdom Arena on Matchday 4 of the Saudi Pro League season.

The win on Thursday night leaves Al-Hilal in fourth place with eight points from four matches.

Al-Okhdood shocked the home crowd by taking the lead on 13 minutes when Khaled Narey scored with a stunning volley past Yassine Bounou from a tight angle. The lead could have been doubled on 25 minutes, but Blaz Kramer wasted a presentable chance.

Marcos Leonardo squared the match with a header after Al-Okhdood goalkeeper Samuel Portugal fumbled the ball into his path and it looked like that the teams would go in at the break on level terms. However, three minutes into stoppage time, Theo Hernandez gave Al-Hilal the lead after a wonderful run and finish to send the home crowd into wild celebration.

Nevertheless, Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi would have been far from happy with his team’s overall first-half performance.

The message must have got to the players as Al-Hilal went on the attack after the restart, though a Kalidou Koulibaly effort on 57 minutes was overturned by VAR.

Al-Hilal’s third eventually arrived on 79 minutes, Leonardo grabbing his second of the night from close range after Portugal once again failed to hold onto the ball.

Earlier on Thursday visitors Al-Taawoun beat Al-Khaleej 1-0 to claim third place in the SPL table, while Al-Kholood pulled off the surprise of the day, beating hosts Al-Shabab with a 90th-minute winner from Abdulaziz El-Elawi.