Thiago Alcantara has announced his retirement from football following the expiration of his contract with Liverpool. The former Spain midfielder, 33, was limited to just one appearance in the 2023-24 season due to injuries.
“I will always be willing to give back what I have been given and I am grateful for the time I have enjoyed it,” he wrote on social media. “Thank you, Football, and to everyone who helped me become a better athlete and person along the road.”
Thiago underwent hip surgery at the end of the 2022-23 season and returned in February 2024, making a late substitute appearance in a defeat to Arsenal, where he sustained another injury. That match marked his 98th appearance for Liverpool, whom he joined on a four-year contract from Bayern Munich in 2020.
During his time with Liverpool, Thiago won the FA Cup in the 2021-22 season. Prior to that, he enjoyed a highly successful spell with Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga title in each of his seven seasons with the club and the Champions League in the 2019-20 season.
Thiago began his career at Barcelona in 2009, where he won four La Liga titles, the 2011 Champions League, and the Club World Cup before moving to Bayern in 2013. His achievements in Munich also include the Club World Cup in 2013 and the Champions League in 2020.
Born in Italy while his father, former Brazil winger Mazinho, was playing for Lecce, Thiago joined Barcelona at the age of 14. He represented Spain 46 times between 2011 and 2021. Injuries prevented him from participating in Spain’s victorious Euro 2012 campaign.
Jurgen Klopp, his manager at Liverpool, once said, “Technically, he is so, so good. A talent who could play in any team in the world and it was a privilege to have him with us. Injuries have been a frustration for him and us, but the level that he was able to play at when he was available was incredible.”
Thiago’s brother, Rafinha, is a Barcelona-born Brazilian international who currently plays in Saudi Arabia. Thiago also won European Under-17 and Under-21 titles with Spain.
