Busquets to retire at end of MLS season after extraordinary career

Miami: Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets is retiring from soccer at the end of his current season with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer team said Friday.

The 37-year-old Busquets is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, forming a storied three-man midfield at Barcelona with Xavi Hernández and Andres Iniesta behind Lionel Messi.

Busquets debuted for Barcelona in 2008 under Pep Guardiola and went on to play 722 matches for the club — putting him third all-time behind Xavi and Messi – while winning nine Spanish league titles and the Champions League three times.

What Busquets lacked in speed and scoring, he more than made up for in his tackling, precise passing and ability to provide balance to the team both in defence and going forward.

Barcelona called him “a cornerstone of the finest Barça side of all time.”

He played 143 games for Spain, winning the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012. He was Spain’s captain upon retiring from international competition in 2022. Former teammates — and rivals — praised him on social media. “What a privilege it was to play with you all those years, brother,” Iniesta wrote on Instagram.