French center-back and 2018 World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti has announced his retirement at the age of 31.

The defender, who played for Lille last season, became a free agent after the end of his contract. Due to suffering from serious knee injuries in recent years and failing to find a new club, he finally decided to bid farewell to the professional arena.

Umtiti came from Lyon's youth training and signed his first professional contract in 2012. In the summer of 2016, he joined Barcelona with his talent and potential, and became an important member of the team's defense under then-coach Luis Enrique.

In his six seasons at Barcelona, Umtiti played 134 games wearing the No. 23 jersey, becoming the fifth French player with the most appearances in team history, and scored two goals in La Liga.

Umtiti won seven honors with the team: two La Liga titles (2017-18, 2018-19), three Copa del Rey titles (2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21) and two Spanish Super Cup titles (2016-17, 2018-19), becoming a member of the team's golden age.

At the national team level, Umtiti played a key role in helping France win the 2018 World Cup in Russia. His winning goal in the semi-final against Belgium remains one of the most memorable moments of France's title-winning campaign.

After his Barcelona career, Umtiti had brief spells with Lecce in Serie A and Lille in Ligue 1. However, frequent knee injuries severely impacted his form, preventing him from reaching his peak form. Now, at just 31 years old, the central defender has retired, ending a career punctuated by both brilliance and injury.