Belgium’s veteran midfielder, Axel Witsel, has announced his retirement from international football to dedicate more time to his family and career with Spanish club Atletico Madrid.
In his 15-year career with Belgium, Witsel made 130 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
He expressed his well-wishes to the new generation of players in a social media post, stating, “Good luck to the new generation who I am sure will make us live again incredible moments.”
The new Belgium coach, Domenico Tedesco, dropped Witsel from his first squad in March, with a mission to rebuild the team.
Despite this, Tedesco left the door open for Witsel to make a return to the team.
Tedesco succeeded Roberto Martinez, who led Belgium to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup and was in charge for six years. Martinez resigned after the Red Devils failed to progress to the knockout stage last year in Qatar.
Belgium, ranked No. 1 by FIFA for four years during Martinez’s tenure, never won a major tournament. Other players from Belgium’s successful era, such as Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld, and Simon Mignolet, have also retired from international soccer since the World Cup.
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