World Cup winner Nicolas Otamendi retires from Argentina duty after 17 years
Nicolas Otamendi has retired from Argentina duty after 17 years and 139 appearances. He leaves as a World Cup winner and one of the country's most decorated defenders.
- Jul 24, 2026,
- Updated Jul 24, 2026, 10:13 AM IST
- The 38-year-old centre-back played 139 matches across four World Cups
- His final outing came in Argentina's 1-0 World Cup final loss
- Otamendi called the retirement message the hardest words of his career
Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi has announced his retirement from international football, ending a 17-year career that included a FIFA World Cup triumph and two Copa America titles.
The 38-year-old centre-back made 139 appearances for Argentina and played his final international match in the FIFA World Cup final in the United States, where the defending champions suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain.
Confirming his decision in an Instagram post, Otamendi described the announcement as "the most difficult words" of his career.
"As fate would have it, my last match was a World Cup final. It wasn't the result we wanted, but I'm leaving with my head held high, knowing that this team gave it their all right up to the very last second. Thank you, Argentina, for allowing me to fulfil the dream of becoming a world champion," he wrote.
Argentina's campaign ended with a narrow extra-time loss to Spain after a dramatic knockout run. The side recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt in the Round of 32 before staging a late comeback against England in the semi-finals. Spain eventually ended Argentina's title defence with a 1-0 victory in the final.
Otamendi bows out as one of Argentina's most decorated defenders, having won the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two Copa America titles while representing his country at four World Cups.
The veteran recently returned to Argentina to join River Plate after concluding a successful club career in Europe, where he played for Porto, Valencia, Manchester City and Benfica.
