Real Madrid and Brazil defender Marcelo has announced his retirement at the age of 36 in a video posted to social media on Thursday.
The left-back enjoyed one of football’s most successful careers in terms of trophy hauls, picking up five Champions League titles and six LaLiga triumphs in a career that spanned 19 years.
“My story as a player ends here but I still have much to give to football,” Marcelo said in the video that shows highlights of his illustrious career.
Marcelo also enjoyed trophy-laden spells in his home country with Fluminense, most notably helping them lift the Copa Libertadores in 2023 after leaving Madrid in the wake of their 2022 Champions League final success and a short spell at Greek side Olympiacos.
Marcelo first joined the Madrid from Fluminense in January 2007 as an 18-year-old and spent 15 and a half seasons with the team, leaving the Bernabeu as the most decorated player in the club’s 120-year history with 25 trophies — though that mark has since been surpassed by Nacho, Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal.
He played 58 times for Brazil, scoring six goals. He never lifted a major international trophy though he was part of the squad that won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil. He also won a silver and a bronze Olympic medals with the nation at the 2012 and 2008 Games, respectively.
