Veteran Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas announced on
Tuesday that he will retire from football for 39 years, after
a long career that has lasted for more than 20 years in the
stadiums, most notably with Real Madrid and the team that
crowned him as world champion in 2010.
“Today is at the same time one of the most important and
difficult days in my sporting life. It is time to say goodbye,”
Casillas wrote, in a statement on his accounts on social media.
Casillas’ announcement of his retirement was expected in recent
times, especially after he avoided competitions with Porto, who
moved to Portugal in 2015, since he suffered a heart attack
early May 2019.
Casillas fought a legendary career with Real Madrid (1999-
2015), who grew up in his ranks, as the club’s website describes
him as “the best goalkeeper in our history.”
He has fought 725 games, the second historically behind record
holder Raul Gonzales with 741 games, and has been crowned
with 19 titles, most notably 3 in the Champions League,
5 in the Spanish League and 2 in the Spanish Cup.
In 2015, the goalkeeper moved to Porto, with whom he won the
League twice and the Cup once.
He also carried the captaincy of the Spanish national team, with
which he played 167 international matches, and was part of a
golden squad that won 3 successive big titles: the 2010 World
Cup and the European Cup in 2008 and 2012.
Casillas has maintained his presence in the perfect squad for
FIFA (the best 11 players according to Vivpro) for 5
consecutive years between 2008 and 2012.
And he expressed his desire to run for the presidency of the
Spanish Federation for the game in February, before he
abandoned it last June, because of the situation created by
the epidemic of the Coronavirus emerging in his country.
According to local press reports last July, Casillas will return
to Real Madrid to occupy an advisory position to club president
Florentino Perez.
