Legendary Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets has confirmed he will retire from professional football following the conclusion of Inter Miami's current MLS season.
The 37-year-old, who once predicted he'd retire in his early thirties, has defied expectations by remaining a crucial player for one of Major League Soccer's top teams. His final match could come as soon as this weekend if Inter Miami loses their conference semi-final against FC Cincinnati on Sunday.
The Unseen Genius
What makes Busquets' enduring quality particularly remarkable is that he succeeds despite what appears to be a glaring weakness: his advancing age and lack of mobility. According to data from Gradient Sports, no midfielder in MLS covers less distance per 90 minutes this season or spends less time running at speeds above a jog.
His physical limitations are stark - he accelerates slower over the first 10 meters than any outfield starter in the league. Yet his brain operates at lightning speed, consistently outthinking opponents with quicker feet.
"Mine is a position where you can't be moving all over the pitch," Busquets once told Catalan radio. "You've got to think more than run."
Master of Anticipation
Watch Busquets play and you'll notice his head constantly moves, scanning and anticipating plays before they develop. His movements are economical but perfectly timed, stepping into space as it opens or closing ground moments before turnovers occur.
His defensive philosophy revolves around prevention rather than reaction. As he once explained: "More than stopping the counterattack when it happens you want to prevent it from starting. It's more about being tactically astute than physically dominant."
This season, SkillCorner's advanced statistics show Busquets excels in precisely these anticipatory metrics - "disrupt or regain" and "stop or reduce danger" - proving he understands better than anyone that he must snuff out trouble before he's forced to chase it.
The Art of Distribution
While athleticism fades, technical quality endures. Former Barcelona teammate Cesc Fàbregas marvelled at Busquets' ability to "just be walking around and dictate games" while remaining unfazed by pressure.
Advanced analytics quantify this genius. According to American Soccer Analysis, Busquets ranks in the 94th percentile among MLS midfielders for exceeding expected pass completion rates and the 93rd for how much each pass improves his team's scoring probability.
His signature move - showing opponents the ball before yanking it away at the last second - has become internet folklore, but his true mastery lies in his patience and decision-making. "It can appear that I have waited too long to play the pass, but I'm just waiting to see if the options will change," he revealed. "They usually do."
Busquets particularly excels at slicing through defensive lines, ranking in the 97th percentile for passes through the first defensive line and 98th through the second. His connection with Lionel Messi remains potent - the futi app shows the pair have combined for 74 progressive passes this season, more than any other passer-receiver combination in MLS.
Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano, who once lost his midfield position to a young Busquets at Barcelona, expressed regret about the impending retirement: "For me it's a shame, because I think he's a player who's still active, who can continue to give a lot to the club."
Despite modern football's obsession with data and metrics, much of Busquets' game remains beautifully unquantifiable - his spatial awareness, his peculiar defensive crouch, his ability to rearrange both teams' shapes through subtle positional adjustments.
Perhaps this slight air of mystery suits a player who told the Guardian just before leaving Barcelona: "I don't want people talking about me." For a man who became your favourite defensive midfielder's favourite defensive midfielder, that particular wish was always destined to remain unfulfilled.
