Brazilian defender Filipe Luis has announced that he will be retiring at the end of the Serie A season, with Flamengo facing Cuiaba at the Maracana Stadium. The defender earned 44 caps for the national team and won the Copa America in 2018/19. He featured most prominently for Ajax, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea in Europe before returning to his home country in 2019.

In a career spanning 20 years, the veteran has won a significant amount of silverware including two Europa League titles with Atletico Madrid. He also won the 2013/14 LaLiga title, the Copa del Rey, Supercopa and UEFA Super Cup with Atletico and the 14/15 Premier League and 2015 EFL Cup with Chelsea.

Luis almost won two Champions League titles as well, but finished as the runner-up with Atletico Madrid both in 2014 and 2016.

Filipe Luis to retire from football aged 38

Silverware has also followed the full-back upon his return to South America. He has won two Copa Libertadores titles with Flamengo in 2019 and 2022, while winning the Brazilian league twice, the domestic cup once and the Brazilian Supercopa twice as well.

“I just have one word to describe how I feel: gratitude,” Filipe Luis said in a social media post on Thursday.

“Gratitude toward the [Flamengo staff] that bet on me… to every fan who supported me… to those who criticized me, to all the people who were part of this. Thank you very much. They were the best years of my life.”