Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique has revealed he will retire from international duty after the 2018 World Cup.
Pique, 29, has a mixed relationship with parts of the Spanish crowd and media due to his association with Catalonia and Barcelona.
The Barcelona defender was criticised on social media for reportedly cutting the Spanish flag off his jersey before their 2-0 win over Albania on Sunday, which proved the last straw for Pique.
“Yes, it certainly is tiring,” AS quote Pique as saying, when asked about this latest criticism. “The Russia World Cup will be my last tournament with the Spanish national team.
“This is not a decision I’ve taken today but something from a while back. I’ve always given my all and there can be little doubt about that. There are clearly people who feel it better if I’m not a part of the international set-up.
“I’m excited about playing in Julen’s team and for that reason I’m not going to pack things in today. We’ve started together and we’ll finish together.”
Pique has earned 83 caps since making his debut for the Spanish national team in February 2009 and has won the World Cup (2014) and Euro (2012) in that time.
For more stats on Gerard Pique, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
