Belgian footballer Dries Mertens has officially announced his retirement from professional football.
The 38-year-old made the announcement in a video shared on social media on Sunday, June 23, just days before his contract with Turkish club Galatasaray ends.
Mertens, who is best known for his time at Napoli, will make one final appearance in a testimonial match organised by his former teammate Marek Hamsik in July. After that, he will end his playing career for good.
“After many wonderful years in football, it’s time to say goodbye,” Mertens said in the farewell message.
The forward leaves behind a remarkable legacy. He is Napoli’s all-time top scorer with 148 goals, a record he set during his nine seasons at the Italian club. While at Napoli, he won two Italian Cup trophies and became a fan favourite for his goals, assists, and dedication on the pitch.
Mertens later moved to Galatasaray in 2022, where he continued to impress, helping the team win three Turkish Super Lig titles.
On the international stage, Mertens represented Belgium 109 times and scored 21 goals. He was part of the Belgian squad that played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which turned out to be his final appearance for the national team.
He played a key role in Belgium’s golden generation, which reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and rose to the top of the FIFA rankings.
