Belgium’s Mertens announces retirement from football

A former Belgium forward, Dries Mertens, has announced his retirement from football, with his contract at Galatasaray due to expire at the end of this month.

The 38-year-old said he was hanging up his boots in a video posted on social media on Sunday, but would play in an exhibition match organised by his former Napoli teammate Marek Hamsik in July.

Mertens is Napoli’s all-time record goalscorer with 148.

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He won two Italian Cups with the club before leaving for Galatasaray, where he won three successive Turkish Super Lig titles, in 2022.

Mertens made the last of his 109 international appearances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Belgium were dumped out in the group stage, and scored 21 goals for his country.