Javier Mascherano: Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder retires
Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano, 36, announces his retirement from football; the most capped player in Argentina's history, who also made a controversial move to West Ham in 2006, has been playing for Estudiantes in his native country
Monday 16 November 2020 07:31, UK
Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36.
Mascherano, the most capped player in Argentina's history, made the announcement in a press conference at his current club, Estudiantes.
Mascherano said: "I want to announce that today I am retiring from soccer professionally.
"I want to thank this club that gave me the opportunity to finish my career in Argentina."
After a controversial move to West Ham alongside Carlos Tevez in 2006, Mascherano moved on to Anfield, where his initial loan deal was made permanent in January 2008.
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The Argentine impressed under manager Rafael Benitez with his trademark, hard-tackling style of play and made 139 appearances in a successful three-year spell for Liverpool.
Mascherano then got his wish to move to the Nou Camp, joining Barcelona for a fee in the region of £25m in 2010.
He made 334 appearances for the Spanish club, winning two Champions League titles and a pair of Club World Cup titles with them, along with five wins each in La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona tweeted: "Thanks for the legacy you have left in the world of football, and especially at Barca, @Mascherano. You will always be one of us."
In 2018, Mascherano left Barcelona for the Chinese Super League where he played for Hebei China Fortune before making his final move as to Estudiantes at the beginning of this year.
Mascherano made his debut for Argentina as a 19-year-old in July 2003, handed his first opportunity by current Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa, and went on to make 147 appearances and score three goals for his country.
The midfielder played a pivotal role in Argentina's 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil which saw them reach the final, but suffered extra-time defeat to Germany thanks to a goal from Mario Gotze.
He won two Olympic gold medals with the national team, starting in a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the 2004 final in Athens, and again in 2008 where they beat Nigeria 1-0 in Beijing.
His final appearance for Argentina came in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he started in the 4-3 loss to eventual winners France in the round of 16.
