Gonzalo Higuain announces retirement at end of MLS season after spells with Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus

Former Real Madrid and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain will retire at the end of the 2022 MLS season.

The 34-year-old, who has been with MLS side Inter Miami since 2020, is Argentina’s fifth-highest scorer with 31 goals in 75 matches.

He announced his retirement at a tearful press conference alongside Inter Miami head coach Phil Neville.

“The day has come to say goodbye to football,” said Higuain.

“Three or four months ago I told the club, it wasn’t from one day to the next. I had been working on it for years.

“When I came here, I came for the pleasure of enjoying football, of my life, of having Fede close, my brother. It was another stage in my career, but I can tell you that it was one of the best moments of my career, and this club, my team-mates and the coaching staff gave it to me, who gave me back the desire to play football.

“I can now retire as I always dreamed, scoring goals and having fun playing the game.”

Higuain will be hoping to bow out on a high note, with Miami currently occupying the final play-off spot in the Eastern Conference with two games of the season remaining.

Higuain has scored 12 goals and provided two assists in his last 14 games.

He will likely be best remembered for his club spells with Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus.

He joined Real in 2006 from River Plate and scored 121 goals during his time in the Spanish capital, winning La Liga three times.

At Napoli he was also prolific, firing in 91 goals in 146 games across all competitions, including 36 in the 2015/16 season, breaking the record for most goals scored in a Serie A season.

He scored 66 times for Juventus and won three league titles. He was included in the Serie A Team of the Year on three occasions.

He also had short spells with Chelsea and AC Milan before joining Inter Miami, where he played alongside older brother Federico, who retired following the 2021 season.

Higuain played at the World Cup three times for Argentina, helping them to reach the 2014 final.

Inter Miami face Orlando City on October 6 before finishing the regular season against Montreal on October 9.