People, Positions and Obituaries · 9 September 2026

Spain Footballer Marcos Llorente Retires From International Football

Exam-focused facts from the 9 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

  • Spain and Atletico Madrid footballer Marcos Llorente announced his retirement from international football, a little over a month after winning the FIFA World Cup with Spain.
  • The 31-year-old Llorente was an unused substitute during Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in extra time in the World Cup final in East Rutherford on July 19.
  • He made appearances in Spain's group-stage games against Cape Verde and Uruguay, and came on as a substitute in the 2-0 semifinal win over France under coach Luis de la Fuente.
  • Llorente made his Spain debut in 2020 and represented the country 27 times.
  • He was a member of the Spain squad at the European Championships in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
  • Llorente said his decision to retire from the national team was already made regardless of whether he had gone to the World Cup or won it.

View this story in the full daily briefing

Earlier coverage selected by topic similarity to help connect developments over time.

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