Iker Casillas celebrating the FIFA World Cup win for Spain in 2010. (Source: File)
Spain’s World Cup-winning captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas announced his retirement from the professional game at the age of 39 on Tuesday.
The former Real Madrid skipper had called time on his five-year spell with side Porto in July after his contract with the Portuguese club expired.
Here’s Iker Casillas at his best. Happy retirement Iker! pic.twitter.com/WANYb9FrZb
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) August 4, 2020
Casillas had suffered a heart attack during a training session last year and has not played any competitive football since April, 2019.
“The important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not where it takes you, because that comes with work and effort alone, and I think I can say, without hesitation, that the path I have taken is the one I dreamt about #Thanks,” Casillas said on Twitter.
EL NÚMERO 1 pic.twitter.com/q7wC3Hz8HL
— DjMaRiiO (@DjMaRiiO) August 4, 2020
Paying tribute to their former captain, Real posted in a statement on their official website: “Today, one of the most important footballers in our 118-year history, a player whom we love and admire, a goalkeeper who has enlarged the legend of Real Madrid with his work and exemplary behaviour both on and off the field, says goodbye as a professional player.
👋 Iker Casillas = the best goalkeeper you’ve seen?
Three-time winner 🏆🏆🏆
Most clean sheets in UCL history 🚫
1st player to feature in 20 seasons 🔝
Record 177 appearances 👏
2nd player ever to claim 100 wins in #UCL@IkerCasillas 🧤 https://t.co/iy8UJhzIKa pic.twitter.com/RbPqmyKIkD— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 4, 2020
“With the first team he played 725 games during 16 seasons in which he won 19 titles: three European Cups, three Club World Cups, two European Super Cups, five Leagues, two King’s Cups and four Spanish Super Cups.
“In Portugal, with Porto, he has achieved two Leagues, one Cup and one Super Cup. He has been an international with Spain on 167 occasions and has won one World Cup, two Euro Cups and one U-20 World Cup.
“Casillas was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI five times and chosen as the best goalkeeper in the world by the IFFHS five times,” it added.
🌟 @IKERCASILLAS : @REALMADRID LEGEND 🌟#RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/G1hZRB7YDZ
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) August 4, 2020
Casillas was given a role on Porto’s technical staff at the start of last season and was included in the first-team squad, although he was never named in a matchday squad.