Rakitic Bids Emotional Farewell as He Retires at 37

Former Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 37, drawing the curtain on a distinguished career that spanned nearly two decades.

Rakitic, who made his name at clubs like Sevilla and Barcelona, shared a heartfelt message on social media on Monday, expressing gratitude for the journey football has given him.

“Football, you gave me more than I ever dreamed of. You gave me friends, emotions, joy and tears,” he wrote. “Now it’s time to say goodbye. Because even if I walk away from you, I know you’ll never walk away from me. Thank you, football. For everything.”

The Swiss-born playmaker began his senior career at Basel before moving to Germany with Schalke. He would go on to earn 106 international caps for Croatia, playing a key role in their run to the 2018 World Cup final, where they were defeated by France.

Rakitic enjoyed some of his most successful years at Barcelona, helping the Catalan giants to a historic treble in 2015. He also lifted two Europa League titles with Sevilla, where he had two separate spells.

His final playing days saw a brief stint at Saudi Arabian side Al Shabab, before returning home for one last season with Hajduk Split.Rakitic Bids Emotional Farewell as He Retires at 37

Former Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 37, drawing the curtain on a distinguished career that spanned nearly two decades.

Rakitic, who made his name at clubs like Sevilla and Barcelona, shared a heartfelt message on social media on Monday, expressing gratitude for the journey football has given him.

“Football, you gave me more than I ever dreamed of. You gave me friends, emotions, joy and tears,” he wrote. “Now it’s time to say goodbye. Because even if I walk away from you, I know you’ll never walk away from me. Thank you, football. For everything.”

The Swiss-born playmaker began his senior career at Basel before moving to Germany with Schalke. He would go on to earn 106 international caps for Croatia, playing a key role in their run to the 2018 World Cup final, where they were defeated by France.

Rakitic enjoyed some of his most successful years at Barcelona, helping the Catalan giants to a historic treble in 2015. He also lifted two Europa League titles with Sevilla, where he had two separate spells.

His final playing days saw a brief stint at Saudi Arabian side Al Shabab, before returning home for one last season with Hajduk Split.