February 23, (THEWILL) – Dejan Lovren has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 33.
The Lyon centre-back confirmed his decision on Thursday, revealing that he has played his final game for his country. The Croatia defender won 78 caps, with his last appearance coming in the 3-0 World Cup semi-final defeat to an Argentina side that went on to lift the trophy in Qatar, in December.
Lovren made his Croatia debut in 2009 and was an unused substitute for their victory over Morocco in the third-place play-off. He played a pivotal role in Croatia’s run to the World Cup final in 2018, where they were defeated by France.
In a lengthy open letter, Lovren wrote: “I want to tell every single young football player in the country that they must look at the Croatian national team as a completely different dimension of football – look at these players as your superheroes. The most beautiful chapters of my national team story were the ones that we wrote during the past five years. This is, if I’m being honest, still a complete dream to me.
“So many emotions went through me, especially in 2018 and 2022, and I find it difficult to put these experiences into words. I lived my life in hope that I would get to experience moments like those and, when they did come, I lived them with immense pride. These memories will remain in my heart forever.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
