‘It’s been an honor’ – World Cup winner Marcos Llorente retires from international football with Spain aged 31
The midfielder-turned-defender provided a heartfelt statement regarding his departure. Llorente said: ‘After thinking about it for a long time, I have decided to close my stage with the National Team. I am aware that I am still young and that, perhaps, if I continued doing things well, I would still have years left to continue playing in this shirt. I know many of you won’t understand, and I probably wouldn’t have understood it from the outside either. But it’s a personal decision, very carefully considered and, above all, deeply felt.’
He continued by clarifying that the result of the recent tournament did not dictate his path: ‘Regardless of whether I had gone to the World Cup or not, or whether we had won or not, I had already made this decision. I can only be infinitely grateful to all the people I have met during these years who have made it possible for my family and me to experience unique and unforgettable moments. I’ll cherish everything I’ve experienced, but above all, these last 52 days. With a wonderful group that fought until the very end to put Spain on top. And they did. It’s been an honor to represent my country and be part of this story. Thank you for everything. Hugs to all.’
