Pedro Rodríguez announces his retirement at 39 after a glorious career

On an October afternoon, the Spanish former striker Pedro Rodríguez posted on his social media that he hangs up his boots at 39, describing the moment as “the step forward” to start a new chapter. The announcement, made this Tuesday, comes after several months without a club since he left Lazio on June 30.

The beginnings in Tenerife and the jump to La Masia

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on July 28, 1987, Pedro trained at the Abades sports centre and made his debut with CD San Isidro. His outstanding performance in the Villa de Adeje Youth Tournament, representing the island’s southern selection, caught the eye of FC Barcelona, which signed him at 17. At La Masia he developed before being promoted to the first team in 2009, the year of the historic sextet.

European career and international achievements

With the blaugrana side, Pedro won three Champions Leagues and five league titles, before moving to Chelsea, where he added a Premier League and an FA Cup. He closed his European stint with Roma and Lazio. With the Spanish national team, he was world champion in 2010 and European champion in 2012, amassing 65 caps and 17 goals.

Pedro became the first footballer to score in six different official competitions in a single debut season, and in 2011 he opened the scoring in the Champions final against Manchester United.

His departure leaves Raúl Albiol, Sergio Ramos and Juan Mata as the only active players from the 2010 South Africa World Cup, all free agents. Other teammates from that tournament, such as Xavi and Xabi Alonso, are already working as coaches.

In his farewell message, Pedro said: “I leave proud for having lived my dream and for all the people who stood by me to make it a reality. Thank you football for making me so happy.”

With Pedro Rodríguez’s departure, Spanish football loses an iconic figure whose career, which began at the modest Abades sports centre, reached the pinnacle of the global sport.