Torres retires after final match

INA – SOURCES

Spanish World Cup-winning striker Fernando Torres has played his final professional match before retirement.

The former Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea forward, 35, finished his career in Japan with Sagan Tosu.

They lost his final game 6-1 to a Vissel Kobe side featuring former team-mates Andres Iniesta and David Villa.

Iniesta wrote Torres an open letter, in which he said "it's been a wonderful journey, it has taken us to every corner of the world".

Torres made 110 appearances for Spain and won the World Cup in 2010, as well as the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, scoring in both finals.

Torres started his career with Atletico, before a £20m move to Liverpool in 2007, where he scored 81 goals in 142 games.

In 2011, he was signed by Chelsea for a then British record transfer fee of £50m.

Although he failed to replicate his goalscoring form at Stamford Bridge, he was part of the Blues' Champions League-winning team in 2012.

He also won the FA Cup and scored in their 2-1 win against Benfica in the Europa League final in 2013.

After 45 goals in 172 games at Chelsea and a brief four-month loan spell at AC Milan, he returned to Atletico in late 2014.

He finished on the losing side as Atletico lost the 2016 Champions League final to Real Madrid, but won a second Europa League in 2018 - his final appearance before moving to Japan.

Torres, who is Spain's third-highest goalscorer with 38, played in six major tournaments including the 2010 World Cup triumph.