Former Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio officially retired at the age of 37.
2025-12-11 04:51
Former Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio officially retired on Wednesday, ending his 19-year professional career. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has confirmed that a farewell ceremony will be held for him on December 12 at the National Football Training Center on the outskirts of Lisbon.
The 37-year-old Patricio came through the youth academy of Sporting Lisbon and made his first-team debut in the Portuguese league on November 19, 2006. He subsequently played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Roma, and Atalanta before finally playing his last professional match for Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.
To date, Patricio has made 731 club appearances, including 27 Champions League matches, 2 Club World Cup matches, 69 Europa League matches, 12 Europa League matches, 326 Portuguese Primeira Liga matches, 112 English Premier League matches, and 99 Serie A matches. He has kept 270 clean sheets and won two Portuguese Cup titles, one Portuguese League Cup title, two Portuguese Super Cup titles, and one Europa League title with his clubs.
At the national team level, Patricio has also performed consistently. As the goalkeeper with the most appearances in Portuguese history, he has made 108 appearances in all competitions to date, keeping 53 clean sheets, and winning the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League title with the team.
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