Spanish midfielder and 2010 World Cup winner Sergio Busquets announced his international retirement on Friday.
“I would like to announce that after almost 15 years and 143 matches, the moment has arrived to bid farewell to the national team,” wrote the 34-year-old Barcelona stalwart on his social media platforms.
Busquets is one of the last members of Spain’s 2010 team to bow out of international football – he was also part of the team that lifted the 2012 European title.
❤️ 𝗨𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝘆𝗮 𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔.
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) December 16, 2022
🫶 @5sergiob se despide de la @SEFutbol tras ganarlo 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗢.
🏆 Campeón del Mundial de 2010 y de la Eurocopa de 2012.
👕 𝟭𝟰𝟯 veces internacional.
🙏 ¡¡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗦, 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜!!
🔗 https://t.co/L0JmE4cVBB pic.twitter.com/NJ4T1dcg8k
He was captain of the 2022 World Cup side that fell to a penalty shoot-out defeat to Morocco in the last-16.
Only his fellow 2010 team-mates Iker Casillas (167) and Sergio Ramos (180) represented Spain more often than him.
“It has been an honour to represent my national team and help lift it higher, to being European and World champions. To have been captain and to have played so many matches with a certain level of success and always trying to do my best,” Busquets wrote.