<p>Legendary midfielder Sergio Busquets has announced his retirement from the Spain national team. The 34-year-old captain of the team made the decision following the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2022 World Cup</a> in Qatar. Busquets captained <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/spain-national-team-tv-schedule/">Spain</a> for every match of their tournament.</p>



<p>“I’d like to announce that after almost 15 years and 143 games, the time has come for me to say goodbye to the national team,” Busquets said in an Instagram post.</p>



<p>“I would like to thank all the people who have been with me on this long road. From Vicente del Bosque who gave me the opportunity to start, to Luis Enrique for making me enjoy until the last second.”</p>



<p>“It has been an honor to represent my country and take it to the highest level,” Busquets continued. “To be champion of the World and Europe. To be captain and play so many games with greater or less success, but always giving it all and bringing my grain of sand so that everything was the best possible and that everyone felt how important they are. Helping everyone and fighting for the same goal, with unique, unforgettable, and historical experiences.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">❤️ 𝗨𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝘆𝗮 𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔.<br><br>🫶 <a href="https://twitter.com/5sergiob?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@5sergiob</a> se despide de la <a href="https://twitter.com/SEFutbol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEFutbol</a> tras ganarlo 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗢.<br><br>🏆 Campeón del Mundial de 2010 y de la Eurocopa de 2012.<br><br>👕 𝟭𝟰𝟯 veces internacional.<br><br>🙏 ¡¡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗦, 𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜!!<br><br>🔗 <a href="https://t.co/L0JmE4cVBB">https://t.co/L0JmE4cVBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/NJ4T1dcg8k">pic.twitter.com/NJ4T1dcg8k</a></p>— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEFutbol/status/1603722248799473664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2>Sergio Busquets announces Spain retirement with third-most caps</h2>



<p>The midfielder made his Spain national team debut way back in April of 2009. More than 13 years later, Busquets racked up 143 total caps for his country and became their full-time captain in 2021. Only Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas have played more matches for Spain than Busquets.</p>



<p>Spain and their captain endured a tough World Cup in Qatar. The seventh-ranked team by FIFA were knocked out by Morocco in the round the 16. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/hakimi-panenka-puts-morocco-in-the-quarter-finals-20221206-WST-411480.html">Penalties determined the winner</a>, and Spain failed to convert a single shot. That includes Busquets, who had the <a href="https://youtu.be/jIK3uW1d4RY?t=53" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">third miss for Spain</a> in the spot kicks.</p>



<h5>Midfielder has full trophy case</h5>



<p>Nevertheless, Busquets is widely regarded as one of the top midfielders of his entire generation. He started every match for his country during their 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship triumphs. The lanky defensive midfielder has also collected eight <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/la-liga-tv-schedule/">LaLiga</a> titles and three <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/champions-league-tv-schedule/">Champions League</a> trophies with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a> as well.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Bildbyran</em></p>


Sergio Busquets announces retirement from Spain national team

Spain captain Sergio Busquets has announced his retirement from the national team. Spain exited the 2022 World Cup in the round of 16.

<p>It was clear prior to the 2022 World Cup that Luis Enrique had his Spain team organized. They had been progressing well since Euro 2020 and expected to reach the semi-finals in Qatar.</p>



<p>Whilst it’s not always wise to draw conclusions from one match, the 7-0 dismantling of Costa Rica was eye-opening. So dominant was La Roja’s victory, they may well start to readjust their pre-tournament aims.</p>



<p>Germany’s defeat to Japan earlier in the day was the first part of Spain’s turning point. Die Mannschaft were predicted to win the group, but are immediately in trouble.</p>



<p>Their defeat to Japan gives Spain the chance to secure qualification after just two matches.</p>



<h2>Spain are better than people realized</h2>



<p>Costa Rica were disappointing on Wednesday. They were weak defensively and had no attacking outlet. It was a shadow of the team that so brilliantly shocked the globe in 2014.</p>



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<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Spain vs. Costa Rica Highlights | 2022 FIFA World Cup" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2hSVDLPWeKA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<p>With that being said, Spain were magnificent. Gavi and Pedri are two stupendously talented young footballers. That was clear. However, Wednesday showed they could be the next Xavi and Iniesta.</p>



<p>Sergio Busquets could have played in his slippers. He was in his element. Sat just behind the two energetic prodigies, the veteran simply sprayed the ball around the pitch at will, pulling Costa Rican defenders out of position.</p>



<p>A fluid frontline of Ferran Torres, Marco Asensio and Dani Olmo drew criticism prior to kick-off. By half-time there wasn’t a negative word to be found.</p>



<p>The trio interlinked so well, inspired by Olmo’s verticality and they made chances with ease.</p>



<p>This was a dynamic that few envisaged within the current La Roja team. Many anticipated that Luis Enrique would stick with a no.9 in Alvaro Morata. Instead, the coach was brave and showed his team to have another dimension.</p>



<h2>Group E has a clear road-map after dramatic opening day</h2>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/spain-national-team-tv-schedule/">La Roja’s</a> victory puts them in a fantastic position. Their goal difference is phenomenal and they face Germany next.</p>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/germany-national-team-tv-schedule/">Germany</a> are low on confidence after a surprise defeat to Japan. Spain will take advantage of that when they meet on Sunday evening.</p>



<p>Victory in that game would guarantee progression for Spain. A draw would essentially do the same.</p>



<p>The problem in Group E is the fact that Costa Rica look so weak. Japan shouldn’t have any trouble against them.</p>



<p>On the evidence of Wednesday, the 2010 World Cup winners should have no trouble against Germany. Group E has a clear road-map which could see two teams through after two games.</p>



<h2>Should La Roja re-evaluate their World Cup aims?</h2>



<p>Winning 7-0 at a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">World Cup</a> finals is rare. Luis Enrique’s charges need to enjoy the moment.</p>



<p>They should, though, ask themselves whether they are further along than they thought.</p>



<p>Luis Enrique’s coaching has been impressive since he resumed control of the team. Wednesday showed that the essence of tiki-taka is alive and well.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12098/12753821/pedri-and-gavi-evoke-memories-of-xavi-hernandez-and-andres-iniesta-in-spain-rout-world-cup-hits-and-misses" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gavi and Pedri</a> could be the world’s best midfield duo in 1-2 years. They are already spectacular. In my pre-tournament <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/can-spain-win-world-cup-20221119-WST-408552.html">preview</a> of Spain’s chances for World Soccer Talk, I suggested the team didn’t have a world class player. Gavi and Pedri could prove me spectacularly wrong by the time we reach the final at the Lusail Stadium.</p>



<p><em>Photo credit: IMAGO / Agencia MexSport</em></p>


<div style="background:#f9e4ea;padding:10px;">
<h3>Guide to World Cup 2022</h3>
<div style="padding:10px;">
Here are some resources to help you get the most out of the biggest event in soccer!
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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/"><strong>TV Schedule:</strong></a> All the info on <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/">where and when to watch</a> every game
</div><div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/04/analysis-of-world-cup-groups/"><strong>The Groups:</strong></a> We <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/04/analysis-of-world-cup-groups/">breakdown each group</a> and all the teams
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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-jerseys-for-qatar-2022/"><strong>The Kits:</strong></a> Check out <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-jerseys-for-qatar-2022/">what every team will be wearing</a> on the field this fall
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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/predictor/"><strong>Predictor:</strong></a> Play out every scenario with our <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/predictor/">World Cup Predictor</a>
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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/05/world-cup-bracket-free-download/"><strong>World Cup Bracket:</strong></a> Map out the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/05/world-cup-bracket-free-download/">entire tournament</a>, from the groups to the final
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<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/"><strong>World Cup Hub:</strong></a> Your one stop for <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">everything Qatar 2022</a>
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Spain lay down a marker with Costa Rica victory

Spain eased to a 7-0 victory in their World Cup opener, displaying a style of football that few believed they could perfect as soon as 2022.

Spain lay down a marker with Costa Rica victory - World Soccer Talk

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Sergio Busquets announces retirement from Spain national team

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Spain lay down a marker with Costa Rica victory