He could have kept going. Instead, he is done.
Marcos Llorente is 31. He has just won the world title. He is walking away from the Spain set-up.
The Atletico Madrid midfielder confirmed the decision on Thursday night across his social channels. No injury. No axe. Just a call he says he made after thinking it through.
By his own admission he is still young, and there were probably several more years left in that shirt had he carried on doing the business. He talks about pride and the satisfaction of being part of that story. Then he says thanks and moves on.
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La Roja’s jack of all trades
Llorente was never an automatic pick. He was something else: the fix. A midfielder by trade, he spent part of his career filling in at right-back, both for club and country.
That versatility opened doors. It may also have shut a few. He missed out on Euro 2024, before forcing his way back into the squad and finishing on top this summer.
Six weeks after the world title, a champion squad starts to shrink
The timing matters. Spain lose a player from their winning squad barely a month and a half on. He was not one of the main men, but he was someone the coach could throw into three different positions.
Llorente is not the only one settling international accounts in recent days. The trend is sweeping across several European sides, usually involving players in their 30s who would rather put their energy into club football.
He is now set to give everything to Atletico. The season has started badly for the Colchoneros, and the Julian Alvarez saga has not helped. One more player available during the week matters.
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