Football: Uruguayan Diego Godín hangs up on Sunday

Uruguayan defender Diego Godin, 37, will end his professional career on Sunday after a final match with Vélez Sarsfield in the Argentine league, a source from the Argentine club has said. “Diego has decided that Sunday will be his last game. Then he will return to Uruguay and not play anymore,” the source said.

The former Uruguay captain has told Velez officials he will activate the exit clause in his contract with the club he joined in June 2022 from Atletico Mineiro, hoping to get back in shape for the World Cup in Qatar. 'El Faraon' Godín will play his last game on Sunday against Huracan for the closing of the Argentine La Liga 2023.

After making his professional debut in 2003 at Uruguayan club Cerro, he joined Nacional Montevideo three seasons later, where he spent less than a year before joining Villarreal in Spain. In August 2010, after the World Cup in South Africa, he joined Atlético Madrid, where he remained for nine years and became its captain.

He also had a brief stint at Inter Milan, before ending his European career in Cagliari, Italy. Back in South America in early 2022, he joined Atlético Mineiro and, in June of the same year, joined Vélez.

His record includes three European Super Cups (2010, 2012, 2018) and two Europa Leagues (2010, 2018) with Atlético Madrid, with whom he also won a Copa del Rey (2013), a Spanish championship ( 2014) and a Spanish Super Cup (2014). He also won a Brazilian Super Cup with Atlético Mineiro (2022).

Godin is the most capped player in the history of Celeste, of which he was the leader during the long tenure of “Maestro” Oscar Tabarez. He has 161 caps, including 82 as captain. He was crowned South American champion (Copa America) in 2011. He participated in four World Cups: in 2010 in South Africa where Uruguay finished fourth, 2014 in Brazil, 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar .