MIAMI: Former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets will retire from football at the end of the Major League Soccer (MLS) season, his club Inter Miami said on Thursday.
Busquets came up through the Barcelona youth ranks and spent 18 years overall at the club, making his senior debut in 2008, before joining Miami in 2023 where he was reunited with former teammates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.
He played 143 times for the national team and was part of the side that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the European Championship two years later in Poland and Ukraine.
“I feel like the time has come to say goodbye to my career as a professional footballer. It’s been almost 20 years of enjoying this incredible story I always dreamed of,” Busquets said in a video posted on Instagram.
“I’m retiring very happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all, grateful... Thank you all very much, see you soon.”
Widely considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders ever to have played the game, Busquets made more than 700 appearances for Barcelona, winning nine LaLiga crowns and three Champions League trophies among his collection of major trophies with the club.
After moving to the US, the 37-year-old won the Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield and will play the final few matches of his career in the MLS playoffs.
Former Barcelona midfielder Busquets to retire at end of MLS season
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Former Barcelona midfielder Busquets to retire at end of MLS season
- Former Barcelona midfielder Busquets to retire at end of MLS season
WWE star praises Saudi fans as excitement builds on eve of Royal Rumble in Riyadh
- The event on Saturday at the newly built, 25,000-seater KAFD Arena will be the first traditional Royal Rumble staged outside North America
- Saudi fans ‘are so energetic and loud … They’re bringing the energy. They’re going to bring it to SmackDown, to Royal Rumble and, next year, to WrestleMania,’ says WWE star Matt Cardona
RIYADH: A landmark Royal Rumble weekend in Riyadh got underway on Friday, with WWE superstar Matt Cardona sharing his impressions of Saudi Arabia and the local fans as momentum built for the promotion’s marquee premium live event on Saturday.
The event, part of Riyadh Season, is the first “Big Five” WWE show of the year and the first traditional Royal Rumble staged outside North America. It will take place at the newly built KAFD Arena, which was constructed in a record-breaking time of just 35 days, and has seating for about 25,000 fans, an open-roof design and what are described as immersive architectural elements.
In recent years, WWE has expanded its global footprint by staging major events across the Middle East and Europe, offering fans in Saudi Arabia and other countries the opportunity to see their favorite fighters in action.
Cardona told Arab News that the relationship between WWE and Riyadh Season continues to grow, and revealed what he and his fellow wrestlers have been up to since arriving in the Kingdom.
“We went to Six Flags, we rode the tallest, longest roller coaster, then we get to wrestle,” said the former WWE US and Intercontinental Champion and NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
“So for me, as a big fan, a big kid, getting to go to Six Flags when I get to wrestle, this is a dream come true.”
Professional wrestling has built a strong following in Saudi Arabia over the years, and now generations of fans who grew up watching bouts on television have the chance to attend major events in person and see their favorite stars in action.
What once seemed a distant dream for many in the Kingdom has become a reality in recent years, after the WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority began working together to bring live events to the country in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s entertainment goals.
Cardona has been impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of the Saudi fans he has encountered.
“The fans here are so energetic and loud,” he said. “Even yesterday, we were just doing meet-and-greets, photo ops and autographs, and they’re chanting like we’re already in the ring.
“They’re bringing the energy. They’re going to bring it to SmackDown, to Royal Rumble and, next year, to WrestleMania.”
Since the partnership with Saudi authorities began, WWE has staged several major events in the Kingdom including Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, and King and Queen of the Ring. The date for next year’s WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh has yet to be announced.
