Juan Fernando Quintero announces Colombia retirement after World Cup

Juan Fernando Quintero has decided that his time with Colombia is over. The 33-year-old midfielder told coach Néstor Lorenzo and his teammates after the World Cup elimination that he would no longer play for the national team.

Colombia lost to Switzerland on penalties in the round of 16. Quintero appeared during part of the team’s final match, but he had largely served as a substitute for captain James Rodríguez, replacing him from the bench in four of Colombia’s five matches.

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I said I was stepping aside because I felt my moment had arrived; personally, that is how I felt after the frustration of the World Cup, and I told the coaching staff and my teammates.

Quintero said the defeat had affected him deeply. “The frustration of losing is something so great, it creates so many feelings, you cry,” he said, adding that he could spend three or four nights unable to sleep. He said he suffered not only for himself but also for his teammates and friends.

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The frustration of losing is something so great, it creates so many feelings, you cry. In my case, I go three or four nights without sleeping because I suffer so much, not only for myself but for everyone who was there.

The midfielder framed his departure as part of a generational change. “There are moments when you say it is good to step aside and give someone else the opportunity to arrive,” he said. Quintero had recently denied reports of a poor relationship with Lorenzo, whose contract was renewed after the World Cup. He said he loved and appreciated the coach and wished him well.

After the tournament, Quintero left River Plate after publicly questioning coach Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet and joined Independiente Medellín, the club from his hometown that he supports. He represented Colombia at three World Cups, including Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.

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There are moments when you say it is good to step aside and give someone else the opportunity to arrive and take over.