Spains Marcos Llorente calls time on international career at 31

Marcos Llorente has announced his retirement from international football with Spain, just weeks after helping the country win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Atletico de Madrid midfielder, who is 31, revealed his decision on social media on Thursday. He said he had reached it after a long period of reflection and insisted it was not influenced by Spain’s result at the tournament or by the amount of football he played in it.

“After a great deal of time thinking about it, I have decided to bring my time with the national team to an end. I am aware that I am still young and that, perhaps, if I continued doing things correctly, I would have had more years ahead of me to keep playing in this shirt,” Llorente said.

The player added that he understood why some supporters might struggle to accept his decision.

“I know that many of you will not understand this decision, and perhaps I would not have understood it myself if I had been looking at it from the outside. But it is a personal decision, one I have thought about deeply and, above all, one that comes from my feelings.

“Whether I went to the World Cup or not, or whether we won or not, I had already made this decision.”

Llorente also expressed his gratitude to the people who had been part of his international career and had helped create memorable experiences for him and his family.

“I can only be endlessly grateful to all the people I have met during these years, who made it possible for me and my family to experience unique and unforgettable moments,” he said.

He concluded by reflecting on Spain’s successful campaign and the final 52 days of his time with the national team.

“I will keep everything I have experienced with me, but above all these last 52 days, with a wonderful group who fought until the end to put Spain in the highest place. And that is what they did.

“It was a source of pride to represent my country and to be part of this story. Thank you for everything. A hug to everyone.”

Llorente’s international career began with his Spain debut in November 2020. According to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, he won 27 caps without scoring a goal.

He was included in Spain’s squad for UEFA Euro 2020, which was played in 2021 because of its postponement, and also represented the country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The 2026 tournament provided a winning conclusion to his international career. Llorente played in three matches during the competition, including Spain’s 2-0 semi-final victory over France, before the team went on to lift the World Cup.

At club level, Llorente has been an Atletico de Madrid player since 2019. He began his professional career at Deportivo Alaves before moving to Real Madrid, and subsequently joined Atletico de Madrid.

He was part of the Atletico side that won La Liga in the 2020-21 season. His decision to retire from Spain means he leaves international football as a world champion, despite having previously acknowledged that he could still have had several more years in the national-team shirt.