This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
On August 12, 2019, Dutch football legend Wesley Sneijder announced his retirement from the sport, marking the end of a trophy-laden 17-year career.
At 35 years old, Sneijder, who played 134 times for his country, made the announcement while speaking to the YouTube channel of his hometown club FC Utrecht, having recently purchased a corporate box at their stadium.
"My connection to the town is big. Now I've retired from football I want a nice place to share my memories," Sneijder said.
Throughout his career, Sneijder achieved numerous accolades, including a World Cup runners-up medal, as well as Champions League, La Liga, and Serie A titles.
He played for several top-tier clubs, including Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Galatasaray, after graduating from Ajax's academy in 2002. His final club was Al Gharafa in Qatar's top-flight.
For his national side, Sneijder was a losing finalist at the 2010 World Cup to Spain and suffered a last-four exit to Argentina four years later. He had already retired from international football the previous year.
