Venezuelan football star Rincón has announced his retirement; he won the Serie A title with Juventus.

Former Venezuelan captain and Serie A legend Tomás Rincon released a video on Wednesday officially confirming the end of his 20-year professional career. He had been unemployed since terminating his contract with Santos in July.

In his farewell video, Rincon said emotionally: "Dear football, thank you for letting that dream-chasing boy from San Cristóbal find the meaning of life. Now, it is time to say goodbye to a period of time that has been almost my whole life for many years. It is not easy for me to express my feelings as a player saying goodbye to football. I dreamed of going further since I was a child, but I never expected that this path would bring me such rich experiences."

At the end of the video, Rincón hinted that he would continue to stay in the football world after retirement: "My playing career comes to an end today, but my connection with football is not over - there is no way that will happen. Football is a part of my life and always will be."

The 38-year-old Rincon primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also play in multiple positions including central midfielder, right midfielder, and right back. He came through the Maracaibo youth academy and made his first-team debut in the Venezuelan Premier League on March 25, 2007.

To date, Rincon has played for Zamora, Atlético Tácira, Hamburg, Genoa, Juventus, Torino, Sampdoria, and Santos. During this time, he has made 576 appearances in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing 21 assists, and won one Serie A title and one Coppa Italia title with Juventus.

At the national team level, Rincón is undoubtedly Venezuela's most iconic and legendary international player. As the player with the most appearances for the Clarets, he made 141 appearances during his nearly 20-year international career and participated in the Copa America in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2019.

Image source: Internet/X