MADRID, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente has announced his retirement from international football less than two months after helping Spain win this summer's World Cup.
Llorente, 31, who made 27 appearances for Spain, announced his decision in a statement.
"After a long time considering things, I have decided to end my time with the national team," Llorente said.
"I realize that I am still young and that maybe if I continued to do things well, I could still have many years with this shirt.
"I know that a lot of you won't understand, and I also wouldn't have understood from the outside, but it is a decision I have considered carefully for a long time and deeply felt."
Llorente added that he would have made the same decision even if Spain had not won the World Cup.
His current contract with Atletico Madrid runs until June 2028, and he has previously said he plans to retire from professional football in 2030. ■
