By Adegboyega Adeleye Spanish World Cup winner and former Barcelona and Chelsea winger Pedro Rodriguez has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 39, bringing an end to a career spanning more than two decades. Pedro announced his decision in a post on social media on Wednesday, saying he was ready to begin a new chapter in his life.
He wrote: “I feel that the time has come, the time to take a step forward and begin a new stage in my life.
“I leave proud of having lived my dream and of all the people who were by my side to make it come true, Thank you, soccer, for making me so happy. ” Born in Tenerife, Pedro joined Barcelona’s youth academy at 17 and progressed through the club’s ranks before making his first-team debut in 2008.
He became a key member of Pep Guardiola’s celebrated Barcelona side, winning three Champions League titles, five La Liga titles and an unprecedented six trophies in 2009. Pedro scored in Barcelona’s 3-1 Champions League final victory over Manchester United at Wembley in 2011 and finished his spell at the club with 99 goals in 321 appearances.
He left Barcelona for Chelsea in 2015 and won the Premier League with the London club in 2017, before adding the FA Cup and Europa League in the following two seasons. He later played for Roma and Lazio, where he ended his professional career after more than 200 appearances for the Serie A club.
At international level, Pedro was part of Spain’s squad that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 European Championship, earning 65 caps for Spain and scoring 17 goals. “One day, almost without believing it, I became a world champion and a starter in a