Ex-Barca defender Umtiti retires at 31

Former France international Samuel Umtiti has called time on his playing career at the age of 31.

The centre-back, a World Cup winner in 2018 and ex-Barcelona star, last played for Lille in Ligue 1, where persistent knee cartilage problems limited him to only 13 appearances over two seasons.

“After an intense career with ups and downs, the time has come to say goodbye,” he said in a social media post on Monday. “I gave my all with passion and regret nothing.”

A left-footed centre-back, Umtiti made 31 appearances for France and, alongside Raphael Varane in defence, played a leading role in France’s World Cup win in 2018. He scored the only goal in the 1-0 semi-final victory over Belgium, and played in six matches across the tournament.

Umtiti made 133 appearances over a seven-year spell with Barcelona, where he won seven major trophies, including two La Liga titles in back-to-back seasons.

In the 2017-18 campaign, Umtiti began experiencing knee pain. He opted against surgery, and helped Barcelona to win the Spanish title before his success with France that summer. He told L’Equipe in 2019: “I clenched my teeth and played as best I could.”

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In his retirement message, Umtiti expressed gratitude to the clubs, presidents, coaches, and teammates who shaped his career.

At just 24, his crowning moment came when he scored the decisive goal for France against Belgium in the 2018 World Cup semifinal—a gamble on glory that ultimately led to years of physical struggles.

Following the tournament, Umtiti never managed more than 18 appearances in a single season for Barcelona. Despite undergoing various treatments, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, he was unable to stay pain-free. Limited playing time, combined with Barcelona’s financial issues, saw him loaned to Serie A side Lecce for the 2022–23 campaign. His contract with the Spanish giants was eventually terminated by mutual consent in 2023, despite three years left on his deal.

Umtiti made just six appearances for France since helping his side to the world title, and head coach Didier Deschamps said in June 2024: “The only thing that I have to say to him is thank you for everything you did for the national team and if we are world champions, we have to say thanks to him also because after that he had difficult years a difficult season and he didn’t play like he wanted.

“This is the only message I have for him, he is a good friend of mine and I know all the sacrifices he made for the national team.”

Umtiti came through the youth ranks at Lyon and made 170 appearances for the French side before joining Barcelona in 2016, aged 22. He made his France debut that summer, in the 5-2 European Championship quarter-final victory over Iceland, and played in his side’s two remaining matches in the tournament.

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