Wales captain Gareth Bale shocked the football world on Monday as he bid farewell to the beautiful game.
The Wales captain took to social media to reveal the news.
"After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football," Bale said.
"I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It (football) has truly given me some of the best moments of my life," added Bale. "The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me."
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the former Real Madrid player shared a video on Twitter, which covers his whole football journey from an early age to retirement.
"What a journey! Thank you football for memories that will last a lifetime," he wrote.
Bale began his professional career in England with Southampton, but he established himself at Tottenham before joining Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-record sum.
Along with his teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, he won three La Liga championships in Spain in addition to the five Champions League medals.
Bale joined Los Angeles FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2022 after a brief loan stint back at Tottenham.
He led Wales to its first World Cup appearance since 1958 in Qatar in 2022. He served as his nation's talisman as they advanced to the 2016 and 2020 Euros.
Wales were eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2022 at the group stage, and Bale's final game for Wales was a defeat against England.