Andrea Pirlo retires

Pirlo and the World Cup in the Italian national team. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Andrea Pirlo made his statement after playing his last match for New York City FC (USA) yesterday (November 6). Sharing on his personal Twitter page, Pirlo wrote: "Not only is my adventure in New York over, but my journey as a football player has also come to an end. Thank you to all the clubs I have had the honor to play for and all the teammates I have played with throughout my career."

Pirlo and goalkeeper Buffon. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Andrea Pirlo started his career at Brescia in 1995 and then moved to top Italian clubs such as Inter Milan (1998-2001), AC Milan (2001-2011) and Juventus (2011-2015). In more than 22 years of playing at the top level, Pirlo played 872 matches and won a total of 15 titles, including 6 Serie A titles and 2 Champions League titles.

For the Italian national team, Pirlo also played 116 matches, scoring 13 goals between 2002 and 2015. Pirlo's greatest achievement for the Italian national team was the World Cup in 2006.

Pirlo in AC Milan shirt. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Commenting on Pirlo, former France midfielder and New York City FC manager Patrick Vieira said: “Pirlo is one of the best midfielders ever. He changed football forever. Pirlo had a great career, not only on the pitch but also because he was a real gentleman. He was a very nice guy and a great teammate.”

Pirlo in Juventus shirt. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

"Everyone at New York City FC would like to congratulate Andrea on an incredible career and thank Pirlo for his wonderful contributions to New York City over the past two and a half years," New York City FC said in a statement after Pirlo announced his retirement.

Pirlo in his final match against New York City. Photo: REX Flatures

According to TTO