Get Guardian on GoogleIvan Rakitic has officially retired from professional football, closing the book on a legendary career that spanned nearly two decades.
The Croatian midfielder made his decision official through a long post on social media, where he thanked everyone for their cooperation in an extraordinary career he had, starting with Basel, continuing with Schalke 04, then in Sevilla and the peak of his career in Barcelona.
The veteran midfielder spent his last season in the place where his heart beats, in Croatia, with the Hajduk Split team.
Rakitic has played 633 games in Spain, scoring 86 goals and making 105 assists for Sevilla and Barcelona.
Last season he played 39 matches in Croatia, scoring 2 goals and making 5 assists.
Although he had grown up in Switzerland, and had played for FC Basel, he had decided to represent Croatia.
His career was extraordinary, as he won the Swiss Cup, the German Cup, two Europa Leagues, one Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, one European Super Cup, four Spanish La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey trophies, two Spanish Super Cups and two Catalan Super Cups.
He played alongside Leo Messi at Barcelona from 2014 to 2020, being part of one of the most dominant teams in the modern era of football.
