Marcos Llorente retires from Spain national team

Marcos Llorente has ended his Spain career just weeks after helping the national team win the 2026 World Cup. The Atlético Madrid midfielder announced the decision on social media, calling it a personal choice made after lengthy consideration.

Llorente formed part of Spain’s World Cup squad and served mainly as a backup to Pedro Porro at right-back. He started twice in the group stage but played only six minutes in the knockout rounds, entering late in the semifinal against France.

He said the World Cup result did not determine his decision. “Regardless of whether I played in the World Cup or not, or whether we won or not, I had already made the decision,” he wrote.

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After thinking about it for a long time, I have decided to end my journey with the national team. It is a personal decision that I considered carefully and that comes from the heart.

Llorente made his Spain debut on November 11, 2020, playing 18 minutes in a friendly against the Netherlands. He finished his international career with 27 appearances, four assists and no goals. He said he would always remember his time with Spain, particularly the 52 days of the 2026 World Cup.

At club level, Llorente began his career with Real Madrid before joining Atlético Madrid in 2019. He has won the Champions League twice and La Liga once with Atlético.

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Regardless of whether I played in the World Cup or not, or whether we won or not, I had already made the decision.