Marcos Llorente has retired from international football at 31, ending his Spain career with 27 caps just weeks after helping the country win the 2026 World Cup.
The Atlético Madrid defender made his senior debut under Luis Enrique in November 2020. He represented Spain at Euro 2020 and two World Cups before making three appearances during the latest triumph.
Llorente started Spain’s matches against Cape Verde and Uruguay before coming off the bench in the semi-final victory over France. He remained an unused substitute as Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final.
The former Real Madrid player said he had already made his decision before the tournament, regardless of whether Spain won the World Cup or whether he made the squad.
“After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to bring my time with the national team to an end,” Llorente wrote on Instagram.
The defender acknowledged that his age could have allowed him to continue with Spain for several more years.
“I am aware that I am still young and that, perhaps, if I continued doing things well, I would still have years ahead of me to keep playing in this shirt.”
Llorente also admitted that some supporters would struggle to understand his decision.
“I know that many of you will not understand it and, surely, I would not have understood it either from the outside,” he said. “But it is a personal decision, one I have thought about very carefully and, above all, one that is very heartfelt.”
His international farewell comes after one of the most significant periods of his Spain career. Llorente described the final 52 days of the World Cup campaign as something he would cherish, particularly the bond within the squad.
“I’ll cherish everything I’ve experienced, but above all, these last 52 days,” he said.
“With a wonderful group that fought until the very end to put Spain at the top. And that’s exactly what they did.”
Llorente had previously suggested that football alone would not determine when he eventually retired. In a recent social-media Q&A, he said he did not expect to continue playing simply because his body allowed him to.
“I won’t be one of those [players] who retires because they can’t continue physically,” he said.
“Before that, everything that football involves will no longer compensate me. The only thing that excites me in football is winning the Champions League with Atletico.”
He also made his priorities clear away from the pitch.
“My life doesn’t revolve around football. It revolves around my health,” Llorente said.
