Samuel Umtiti, the French centre-back who played a key role in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, has announced he is retiring from professional football at the age of 31. Chronic knee cartilage problems, which limited his appearances in recent seasons, forced the decision.
A graduate of Olympique Lyonnais’ youth system, Umtiti joined FC Barcelona in 2016 where he made 133 appearances and helped the club win two LaLiga titles. He most recently played for Lille in France’s Ligue 1.
Umtiti was instrumental in France’s 2018 World Cup run — scoring the winner in the semi-final against Belgium, and starting in the final against Croatia, which ended 4-2 in France’s favour.
In a post on social media, Umtiti said: “After an intense career with ups and downs, the time has come to say goodbye … I gave it my ALL with passion and I have NO regrets.”
He extended thanks to the clubs, coaches, teammates, presidents, and fans who supported him through his career.
