Marco Di Vaio to retire from football following conclusion of MLS season

Italian striker Marco Di Vaio announced Friday that he will retire from football at the end of the Major League Soccer season after a 22-year career in Europe and North America.

Di Vaio, who signed with the Montreal Impact as a Designated Player in 2012, will play his final game against the D.C. United on Oct. 25.

“After a 20-year career, I am pleased to announce that I will be retiring in Montreal as a member of the Impact,” Di Vaio said on the Impact's website. “I am very proud of what I’ve accomplished over two decades as a pro. It was a dream of mine to play at the highest level and I will look to make the best of my final month as a player.”

Di Vaio, 38, began his career with Lazio in 1993 and went on to play for several clubs throughout Italy, Spain and France before arriving in Canada as the Impact's first Designated Player.

His most successful seasons came at Parma, Juventus and Bologna where he combined to scored 124 goals in 281 matches. His time at Juventus is where he experienced the most club success as he was a member of the team's Serie A winning campaign in 2002/03 and their runner-up performance in the UEFA Champions League that same year.

Di Vaio earned 14 caps with the Italian national team where he recorded two goals.