Nicolas Otamendi has ended his 17-year international career with Argentina by retiring from international football following their World Cup final loss against Spain.
The experienced 38-year-old defender made a substitute appearance in the team’s final 1-0 defeat, and had declared earlier this year that he would conclude his international journey at this tournament.
In becoming a stalwart for the country, he has amassed the fifth highest amount of caps in the national team’s history with 139 – with Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria and Javier Zanetti all bettering this achievement.
Otamendi’s first match came in 2009 under manager, Diego Maradona. Winning Two Copa America titles, the 2022 Finalissima and his crowning World Cup achievement, where he played all possible minutes in the successful Qatar tournament have been earned during his time with Argentina.
In an Instagram post dedicated to his farewell, Otamendi expressed his thanks to the nation, “for allowing me to fulfill my dream of representing our country and becoming a world champion.” He added, “I say goodbye with the peace of mind that I have given my all; that I never stopped believing, and that I never stopped seeing this shirt as the greatest honor of my life.”
Elsewhere, midfielder, Leandro Paredes revealed his intention to reflect on his international career following Argentina’s World Cup loss, and that he will take time before making a final decision.
