Gerard Piqué announces shock retirement from soccer

In a shock announcement, Gerard Piqué, 35, said on Thursday that he is retiring from soccer. In a video shared on social media, the sports star said that his final match as a professional player and as a member of the Barcelona soccer team will take place on Saturday, when the club plays Almería at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona.

After having played 615 games with Barça, Piqué said it was time to say farewell to the sport. Although Piqué has a contract until 2024, he decided to retire from soccer following a shaky start to the season, in which he spent many games on the bench, and was even jeered by fans of the club.

“I have always said that after Barça there would be no other team, and that is how it will be. This Saturday will be my last game at the Camp Nou,” said Piqué, who played for the Spanish national team in 2018.

Piqué has always said that he didn’t want to let circumstances dictate whether he was to retire; he wanted to be the one to make the decision. He joined Barça’s cadet team in 1987, along with Leo Messi, and was part of the most successful team in the soccer club’s history. In 2004, he left the team temporarily to play with United Manchester.