MADRID – In a sudden announcement that has caught the global football community off guard, 31-year-old Atletico Madrid right back Marcos Llorente, a key contributor to Spain’s 2024 World Cup triumph, has confirmed his retirement from international football. The decision, which he describes as a deeply personal, extensively deliberated choice, was made public via his official Instagram account on Thursday.\n\nLlorente, who earned 27 senior caps for Spain throughout his international career, shared the announcement alongside a poignant photo of himself lifting the World Cup trophy that Spain secured back in July. He revealed in the post that he had finalized his choice to step away from the national setup even before the 2024 World Cup tournament kicked off.\n\n“I know I am still at an age where I could continue playing, and if I maintained my current form, I likely would have had several more years of representing my country in this jersey,” Llorente wrote in his statement. “I understand that many of my fans and followers will not understand this call, and I admit that I would probably feel the same way if I were looking at this decision from the outside. But this is a personal choice, one that I have thought through for a long time, and most importantly, one that feels right for me deep down.”\n\nThe defender went on to express overwhelming gratitude for the opportunities he received during his time with the Spanish national team, emphasizing that the experiences he shared with his teammates will stay with him forever. “I can never thank all the people I have met over these years enough for giving me and my family the chance to live through these one-of-a-kind, unforgettable moments,” he said. “I will treasure every experience I had, but nothing will compare to these last 52 days, getting to play alongside an incredible group of teammates that fought all the way to the end to put Spain on top of the world. And we did it.”\n\nLlorente earned his first senior call-up to the Spanish national team back in 2020. He was included in the Spanish squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, though he was not part of the side that claimed the 2024 European Championship title ahead of this summer’s World Cup run.\n\n“Representing my country and getting to be a part of this historic achievement has been the greatest honor of my career,” Llorente added.