Sergio Busquets announces he will retire at end of season after 20-year career
Sergio Busquets, one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, a quiet soccer genius who redefined his position with his soccer I.Q., field vision and precision, announced late Thursday night that he will hang up his boots at the end of this Inter Miami season.
The 37-year-old Spaniard’s contract with the club expires at the end of this season, and his future had been up in the air. He was making $8.8 million, the second-highest salary on the team behind Lionel Messi. Busquets announced his retirement plans on an Instagram video that included highlights of his storied career.
“I feel that the time has come to say goodbye to my career as a professional soccer player,’’ he said on his farewell video. “It has been almost 20 years enjoying this incredible story I always dreamed about. Football has given me unique experiences in wonderful places with the best teammates as travel companions...I retire happy, proud, fulfilled, and above all, grateful.”
Before joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Busquets was a key player for FC Barcelona for 14 years. He made more than 700 total appearances for the club, winning 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and three UEFA Champions Leagues.
He also made 143 appearances for the Spanish national side and helped his country win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. He played in four World Cups and three European Championships.
Busquets was not flashy. He didn’t have to be. The lanky midfielder impacted the game by always being in the right place, rarely making mistakes, keeping the game simple with neat, tidy ball recoveries and pinpoint passes through spaces others rarely saw.
His brilliance was on display Wednesday night, when he delivered a perfectly placed and paced long pass to Lionel Messi, which resulted in a goal in Inter Miami’s 4-0 win over New York City FC. Busquets leads the team in minutes played (2,451) and is averaging 87.5 minutes per game.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who was Busquets’ teammate for eight years at Barcelona, lamented that the game will lose such a special player. Busquets informed Mascherano of his decision Thursday afternoon when the team arrived in Toronto for Saturday’s game.
“He told me he had been thinking about retirement the past few months, it had been some time that he had made the decision but had not made it public,” Mascherano said. “For me, it’s a shame because he’s a player who still in top form, who can still give a lot to the club and the team, and we could keep enjoying his level of play, as we did witnessing that fantastic game he had in New York.
“But these are personal decisions, and all I can do as a friend, more than as a coach, having gone through it, is tell him what I think. But he is totally convinced of his decision and is very happy. We will continue enjoying his play, hopefully, it will be until December [MLS Cup final is Dec. 6], so he goes out in the best way.”
One bit of advice Mascherano gave Busquets is to be prepared for the first day after retirement.
“It’s never easy, you have to be ready because for the first time in 25 or 30 years, counting the years before you became a professional, from one day to the next you are no longer doing what you are passionate about, what you love and what you have done your whole life,” Mascherano said. “And you are still a young person. So, you have to be prepared and ready for that moment.”
Mascherano added that he expects Busquets to become a coach some day, though he doesn’t know when or where. Busquets has discussed with Mascherano his desire to transition to coaching, and Mascherano suspects he will have many offers, possibly even with Barcelona. Throughout his career, Busquets has a reputation for being like an extra assistant coach on the field, advising and directing his teammates.
“I have no doubt Busi will be a coach,” Mascherano said. “The when, where and how he will decide. I have not spoken to him about his plans. I don’t know if he will return to Barcelona or stay in Miami. I went to Barcelona hoping to learn from him, and I found a very good person who helped me a lot when I started there at the same position and that shows what a professional he was. Everyone will speak well of him because he has never had a problem with anyone.”
In his farewell video, Busquets thanked FC Barcelona, Inter Miami, his teammates, and his family.
“I treasure memories from the time I was a child, from Badia to the Barcelona reserve team, passing through Barbera, Lleida and Jabac,” he said. “Thanks to Barcelona, my club for life. It was there that I fulfilled my childhood dreams by wearing that shirt I loved for hundreds of games, celebrated a lot of titles, and experienced moments at Camp Nou I will never forget.
“Thanks to the Spanish national team. It was an honor to represent the team so many times and share achievements that will aways remain in my heart.
“Thanks to Inter Miami, for letting me be part of a new and growing team where I wanted to live a new experience and contribute my part.
“Thanks to all my teammates and staff with whom I shared so many incredible moments with. The best thing I take is all of you. Thanks for all the fans around the world for their love and respect. I hope I have given you a small part of what you have meant to me.
“Thanks for my family who accompanied me to all the fields to help me reach my dreams. Thanks to my wife and children, the pillars of my life, always by my side in good and bad times.”
Mascherano said watching Busquets’ video made him nostalgic and brought back memories of an unparalleled era at Barcelona.
“What we lived at Barcelona was unique and irreplaceable,” Mascherano said. “Not only with him, but so many huge players, many of whom have already retired, others of whom are still active. It has left an indelible mark on all of our careers.”
He added that Busquets reinvented the role of the defensive central midfielder.
“He was a player who changed the way a central midfielder thinks,” Mascherano said. “Until he arrived, central midfielders played specific roles, defensive or offensive. His very unique way of approaching the position inspired others. I think there wouldn’t be a Rodri [Rodrigo De Paul] were it not for Busi.
“He has created a school in a way for central midfielders. Busi has the whole field in his head. His style was fundamental to Barcelona’s success. Barcelona would not have been the same without Busquets.”
The coach said he hopes Busquets’ impending retirement will serve as extra motivation for his teammates heading into the final stretch of the MLS season and the playoffs so Busquets can exit the game with another trophy. Inter Miami has four games left in the regular season and its next game is Tuesday night at home against the Chicago Fire.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 12:46 AM.