Rio de Janeiro (AFP)
Fluminense’s experienced Brazilian defender, Felipe Melo, will end his football career at the end of 2025, according to what he announced in a statement.
Melo, 41 years old, said in a video clip shared on his Instagram account: “Although my contract lasts until December 2024, I want and dream of renewing with Fluminense and playing in the Club World Cup, but the decision to stop football at the end of next year has… “It has already been taken.”
Melo, who is famous for his sharp and sometimes violent nature inside the green rectangle, was part of the squad that won the Libertadores Cup for the first time in the history of Fluminense last season, but since then his participation has diminished.
The Rio de Janeiro team will participate in the new edition of the Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States between June 15 and July 13 last year.
The participation of Melo, who will have reached the age of 42, is subject to the condition of renewing his contract with Fluminense.
Melo started his career as a defensive or attacking midfielder before dropping back to defend.
He returned to Brazil in 2017 to defend Palmeiras, and moved to Fluminense in 2022.
He had several experiences in European clubs, most notably Inter, Juventus, Fiorentina in Italy, and Galatasaray in Turkey.
He wore his country’s national team shirt in 22 international matches, and participated in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the Netherlands defeated the five-time world champions in the quarter-finals 2-1.
#Felipe #Melo. #Retiring #fortytwo