Atletico Madrid icon Diego Godin announces retirement from football

By India Today Sports Desk: Former Uruguay captain Diego Godin announced his retirement from professional football on July 31st, 2023. The announcement came after Velez Sarsfield’s final Argentine league game of the season, a 1-0 loss to Huracan. This marked the end of an illustrious career that spanned two decades and saw Godin make 627 professional appearances, score 38 goals, and win 10 titles. His accolades include two Europa League trophies and three UEFA Super Cups, all won during his tenure as captain of Atletico Madrid.

“I wanted to make the decision this way, being healthy, it may seem surprising, but I had been considering it for a while,” the 37-year-old Godin told Argentine TV.

“Now there are other priorities. My family is in Uruguay and I recently became a dad, I want to rest and enjoy other things, and I wanted to try to leave with a good image on the pitch.”

Godin, who recently turned 37, explained his decision to retire in an interview with Argentine TV. He expressed a desire to focus on his personal life, particularly his family in Uruguay and his recent journey into fatherhood. Despite receiving an offer from Uruguay’s Nacional, Godin chose to hang up his boots, prioritizing his family and his wish to leave the sport while still in good health.

Godin’s football career began in 2003 with CA Cerro, a club in his native Uruguay. He moved to Nacional in 2006 before making the leap to Spain’s Villarreal a year later. In 2010, he joined Atletico Madrid, where he served as team captain for nine seasons and solidified his reputation as a formidable defender. After successful stints at Inter Milan and Cagliari in Italy, and a brief period at Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro, Godin joined Velez Sarsfield in mid-2022.

Internationally, Godin represented Uruguay 161 times and participated in four World Cup tournaments. He was part of the golden generation of Uruguayan football that clinched the 2011 Copa America title and secured a fourth-place finish at the 2010 World Cup.