Former Real Madrid defender announces his retirement at just 31 years old

Real Madrid has always been proud to have some of the best players in the world in its squad, who have helped the Merengues add new glorious chapters to their history.

The last decade, 2010-2020, was one of the most successful in the history of the white club, as Los Blancos won four Champions League titles and truly proved themselves as champions of this prestigious competition.

Several big names contributed to these successes, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, etc., but another player who also contributed enormously to these successes without being particularly well known was French defender Raphael Varane.

As reported by MARCA, the four-time UCL winner with Real Madrid has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of just 31. The defender announced his decision in a social media post in which he thanked all the clubs he has played for, his colleagues over the years and his fans for their support.

The defender also highlighted the main reason for his retirement: his physical problems and injuries, especially his meniscus problem, which have plagued his entire career. Only last summer he had signed with Italian club Como, but after playing only 23 minutes in his debut against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia, he said goodbye to his football career.

During his career, the former Real Madrid defender collected a total of 22 titles and had one of the most decorated cabinets in recent years. With Real Madrid, he won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Champions League titles, three European Super Cups and four Club World Cups.

With Manchester United he won an FA Cup and a League Cup, while with France he won the 2018 World Cup and a UEFA Nations League.

In total, he played 573 games, 360 of which were for Real Madrid. In these games, he also scored 17 goals for the Merengues.