Ex-Man United, Portugal Star Nani Announces Retirement From Football

Former Manchester United and Portugal winger Nani, on Sunday, announced his retirement from professional football.

The 38-year-old began his career at Sporting CP before he was signed by legendary former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in 2007 and left to join Fenerbahçe on a permanent deal in 2015.

Nani played for 10 clubs in total during his 19-year career, plying his trade in countries like Turkey, Spain and the United States. He signed for Estrela Amadora – the team from the neighbourhood where he was born – at the start of 2024.

In a statement on his X handle, Nani said, “As everyone knows, everything comes to an end,

“I’ve taken the time to make a very important decision. Perhaps the most important decision of my professional life, which is the decision to stop playing as a professional player. I’m going to, as they say, hang up my boots. But I do so with a sense of duty fulfilled.

“I believe it was a beautiful career, a career filled with many achievements.”

Nani scored 130 goals in more than 620 career matches and was part of the Portugal team who secured the country’s only European Championship title in 2016.