Marcos Llorente retires from Spain national team

Marcos Llorente has announced his retirement from the Spain national team, ending the international career of a player who lifted the European Championship with the roja at the age of 31.

"After thinking about it for a long time, I have decided to end my spell with the national team. I am aware that I am still young and that, perhaps, if I had carried on doing things right, I might have had a few more years left to play in this shirt. I know that many of you will not understand this, and I probably would not have understood it either from the outside. But it is a personal decision, very carefully thought through and, above all, deeply felt. Regardless of whether I had gone to the World Cup or not, or whether we had won it or not, this decision had already been made. I can only be endlessly grateful to all the people I have met over these years, who allowed my family and me to live unique and unforgettable moments. I will treasure everything I have experienced, but above all these last 52 days. A wonderful group that fought to the end to put Spain at the top. And it did. It was an honour to represent my country and to be part of this history. Thank you for everything. Un abrazo," Llorente wrote.

The Atlético Madrid defender was a bench player for Spain, making his debut on 11 November 2020 under Luis Enrique. He was left out of the squad for the 2024 European Championship, which Spain went on to win. His last appearance came in the semi-final against France on 14 July 2024.

The retirement closes the international chapter for a player who has since dropped down several levels domestically, having joined RB Bragantino's under-20 side in July 2026 without yet scoring for them.