Santi Cazorla Retires From Football at 41

Former Arsenal and Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable career that spanned more than two decades.

The 41-year-old ends his playing career after helping his boyhood club, Real Oviedo, secure promotion to La Liga in 2025 before featuring in the club’s return to Spain’s top flight during his final season.

“Now that everything is ending, when the boots are being hung up, and the noise is turning into silence, everything fits together, because the ending wasn’t just anywhere — I was at home,” said Cazorla in a video on X.

After developing in Oviedo’s youth ranks, Cazorla headed to Villarreal, later joining Arsenal in 2012 after spells at Recreativo and Malaga.

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Cazorla won two FA Cups with Arsenal in 2014 and 2015, during a six-year spell in London.

The creative midfielder lifted the European Championship with Spain in 2008 and 2012, but missed their 2010 World Cup triumph through injury, a constant problem for him during his career.

Cazorla returned to Villarreal and then signed for Qatari side Al Sadd, before returning to Oviedo in the second division in 2023.

“Cazorla decided to come back earning the minimum salary allowed by the league and donated all his image rights to the club,” said Oviedo in a statement Thursday.

“In return, he only asked that 10 percent of the sales of his jersey be entirely dedicated to Real Oviedo’s youth academy, to contribute to the growth of future generations.”

Oviedo said they would like him to stay in any role or capacity that he chooses and “that makes him happy”.