“The time has come to close a truly meaningful chapter in my life.” Hard to believe, but just like that, Jordi Alba announced his decision to retire from the beautiful game for good. After the end of this season, one won’t find the speedy left wing back running on the pitch anymore, as the Spaniard left the entire world in shock with his decision. But there is a very specific yet simple reason you should know about why Alba took this call.

Obviously, hardly anyone saw it coming. Not to mention that five months ago, the former FC Barcelona defender had penned a fresh contract extension with Inter Miami that was bound to keep him through the 2027 Major League Soccer season. Yet here we are, preparing for him to never see the pitch again. So what changed in his mind? This was something that the 36-year-old was quizzed on recently by renowned journalist Franco Panizo, ahead of the Herons’ final home game against Atlanta United.

Interestingly, Jordi Alba replied, “There are a lot of things, not only in terms of football. I think that my level is good, and I can keep playing at the physical level for another year or two.” Exactly our thoughts too, so then why such a heartbreaking call? “But it’s just about time to do something else. It was a personal decision. I’ve been meditating on it for a long time, not from one day to the next,” added the former Valencia man.

Even though this decision struck a deep chord within Alba’s heart, it’s worth noting that he made the call only after speaking with Inter Miami. It was undoubtedly difficult for the former Spanish international to bid farewell to the beautiful game, and he openly admitted that this choice would continue to hurt him for the next one, two, or even five years.

Nevertheless, Alba stressed that his retirement was a well-thought-out decision, made with reflection and a clear mind. Despite still being physically capable of competing at the highest level, he concluded that stepping away was the “most honest and fairest decision” he could make. It was a choice reached independently, marked by both clarity and conviction in his final call.

There you go, it seems Alba must have reached a point in his career where he had a self-realization that it’s time to step away from what gave him almost everything in life: fame, name, a beautiful career, and whatnot. Just like we would like to quote Jamie Carragher in this moment, “Leave football before football leaves you.” Perhaps now, the soccer world has finally got its much-needed closure on this retirement. Speaking of which, it’s not just the fans who will be missing this greatest left-back of all time.

Jordi Alba leaves the ‘best in history’ alone!

After Jordi Alba dropped his retirement video on Instagram, his loved ones had to pay their tribute to the former Catalonia player. Among the obvious names like Luis Suarez, Neymar Jr., Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué, and even former domestic rivals Marco Verratti, Lucas Vázquez, and Dani Carvajal, it was Lionel Messi‘s emotional message that stood out the most.

“I’m going to miss you so much. After so much together, it’s going to be weird to look to the left and not see you there… Crazy how much assists you gave me all these years.. Who’s gonna give me back passes now???” commented Messi below the post, which garnered thousands of likes. Well, it had to be considered, considering their special connection that the entire soccer world has witnessed since the first time they played together. That was something Alba addressed in a heartbeat, insisting that together he and Messi have worked on their trademark passing a lot.

Even if the opponents had a hint about their chemistry, they still managed to find each other in some way or another. No wonder he feels proud in sharing a pitch with someone like La Pulga. “I am very happy that I have been able to play with the best in the history of football. I also give him a lot of assists, but he has also given me almost all the goals that I have scored,” added Alba in a similar interview with the media.

As far as Messi’s question is concerned, that is indeed quite a valid one, considering he’s on the verge of being alone. Not only Jordi Alba, but Sergio Busquets also announced his decision to hang up his boots at the end of the season. As for Luis Suarez, it’s unclear whether he’ll stay in Miami or not. A sad yet understandable moment of sport to realise the end is always inevitable.