Spain Defender Sergio Ramos Retires From International Football After Trophy Laden Career

• Sergio Ramos has announced his retirement from the national team, having made 180 appearances for Spain
• The Paris Saint-Germain defender has called time on a successful international career spanning nearly 18 years
• Ramos was part of the Spain team that won their first ever World Cup trophy in 2010 in South Africa

Spanish football legend Sergio Ramos has officially announced his retirement from international football after 18 years with the national team.

The 36-year-old defender made his Spain debut in 2005 and went on to become his country’s most capped player with 180 appearances for the national team.

Ramos who was also part of the Spanish team which won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 respectively believes it's time to go, Goal reports..

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"The time has come. Time for me to say goodbye to the Spain national team.

"I come away with unforgettable memories, all the titles we've fought for and celebrated together and the tremendous pride I feel as the most capped Spanish international of all time. This badge, this shirt and these fans, all of you, have made me happy. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who believed in me!"

Ramos retires as the player with the most caps for Spain, and he also ranks sixth all-time among players for the men's national team.

Ramos reveals he was forced to retire

Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos has clarified that his decision to retire from international football was not based on his personal decision to quit, Madrid Universal reports.

The PSG defender revealed that current Spain coach Luis De La Fuente had cut off his chances of a return to the national team after a phone conversation.

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Ramos had already seen his game time diminish significantly under former head coach Luis Enrique, having missed out on his Euro 2020 and Qatar 2022 squads.

Ramos opens up on how everything went wrong

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Paris Saint-Germain defender, Sergio Ramos has opened up on how 'everything went wrong' on the back of his departure from Real Madrid.

The Spaniard swapped Madrid for Paris in 2021, bringing an end to a trophy-laden 16-year-stint with Los Blancos.

The centre-back endured a torrid start to life in his new environment, missing a lot of last season with injuries, but has since turned a corner to become a key cog in the heart of PSG's defensive unit.