Former France international Blaise Matuidi retires from football | OneFootball

Former Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi has retired from professional football. He announced the decision this afternoon.

The 35-year-old has called time on his playing career after being without a football club for most of 2022.

Matuidi started his career at Troyes before moving to Saint Etienne. He would earn his move to the just-emerging giants PSG for around €8 million in 2011. He initially joined the club as a replacement for Claude Makelele, who was nearing the end of his career.

Matuidi would establish himself as one of the better midfielders around. He burst through as a box-to-box midfielder with superb engine and drive.

With Les Parisiens, Matuidi would win four Ligue 1 titles, four French League Cups, three Coupe de France titles, and five French Super Cups. He made 295 appearances for the club, scoring 33 and assisting 28.

Following his stint with PSG, Matuidi joined Juventus for €20.5 million in the summer of 2017. The powerhouse midfielder won three Serie A titles in three years with the Bianconeri. He also won one Coppa Italia in his 133 club appearances.

Matuidi joined David Beckham-owned Inter Miami in the MLS in the twilight of his career. He played 48 games before they left him off the club’s roaster. He has since been a free agent with no club picking him up.

Matuidi enjoyed success with the French national team, making 84 appearances, scoring nine goals, and assisting ten. He was a crucial player for Didier Deschamps and Les Bleus as they won the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

With the free time on his hands, Matuidi has focused on supporting technology startups. He has been doing this through a vehicle company called Origins. The investment fund involves more than 50 athletes, including former international teammates Olivier Giroud and N’Golo Kante.