Barcelona's Gerard Pique announces his sudden retirement

Gerard Pique, the Barcelona defender, has stated that he will retire from football when the Spanish league breaks for the World Cup later this month.

Pique, 35, has stated that Saturday's La Liga encounter against Almeria will be his final at Camp Nou after 14 years with the first squad since his return from Manchester United in 2008.

Gerard Pique  will play his final game at Camp Nou on Saturday

Barcelona will next go to Osasuna for their final match before the World Cup in Qatar next week.

"People have been talking about me for the previous several weeks, months," Pique stated in a video shared on social media. "I haven't said anything until now, but now I want to be the one talking about myself."

"I've always supported Barcelona, as have many of you. I grew up in a football-crazy home. I knew from an early age that I didn't want to be a player; I wanted to play for Barcelona.

I've been thinking a lot about that youngster lately. He would have believed it if someone had told him he would play for Barcelona, win every trophy conceivable, and become a European and world champion.

"That he would play alongside some of the greatest players in history, that he would become one of the team's leaders... Football has given me everything." "You, the fans, have given me everything." And now that my childhood fantasies have been realised, I'd like to inform you that I've chosen to call it quits on this adventure.

"I have always stated that there would be no other team after Barcelona, and that is how it will be." This Saturday's game will be my final at Camp Nou.

"I will become a regular supporter; I will support the squad and pass on my enthusiasm for the club to my children, just like my family did for me." And you know me—I'll come back sooner or later. "Visca Barca, always and forever," says Barca.

Pique's grandpa was a member of the Barcelona board of directors, and he entered the club's academy in 1997 before departing for Manchester United in 2004.

After four years at Manchester, including a season-long loan to Real Zaragoza in Spain and 23 first-team games for the English club, he returned to Barcelona in 2008.

He was part of the team that won the triple under Pep Guardiola in 2008-09, and he will leave having won eight LaLiga crowns and three Champions Leagues, among many other trophies.

During a nine-year career with Spain, he also won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012, earning 102 caps before retiring from international football following the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Pique was a mainstay in the first team for his first 14 seasons, but he has dropped down the pecking order this season since the arrivals of Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde.

Despite being the fifth choice in his position, with Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia ahead of him, Pique has only played nine games this season due to injuries elsewhere.

However, since last month's 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, in which Pique was singled out for criticism, left-back Marcos Alonso has been utilised in front of him in defence, forcing him to ponder retirement midseason despite having a contract until 2024.

Barcelona advised Pique in the summer that minutes would be difficult to come by this season as the club sought to either move on or decrease the salary of some of its veterans, notably Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Pique, Busquets, and Alba have all consented to pay reductions and deferrals at various stages in recent years to assist the club in dealing with a tough financial position.

However, with postponed payments due, their contracts consume a substantial portion of Barcelona's budget in relation to the number of minutes they have played under Xavi this season.

ESPN's sources were unable to establish whether Pique's retirement meant he had decided to forego the money owing to him or whether a deal had been reached with Barcelona.

Pique, who turns 36 in January, already has a diverse range of interests outside of sport. He renovated the Davis Cup tennis event through his firm, Kosmos, and he also owns Second Division side Andorra.

He has previously stated that he intends to run for Barca president once he retires, but in recent years he has stated that, while this remains an option, it is not one he would pursue.