Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson set for international retirement
Atiba Hutchinson, the popular captain of Canada's men's national team, has retired from club soccer and expects to conclude his international career after his country's upcoming Nations League Finals matches.
"I've loved every moment of it. For me to be so close (to the end), it's a bit emotional. But I'm happy with everything I've done with this team and looking forward to finishing off with a trophy," Hutchinson told The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.
The 40-year-old midfielder skippered Canada at the 2022 World Cup - the men's first appearance on football's biggest stage since 1986 - and is already the most-capped Canadian male in history with 103 appearances.
John Herdman's side faces Panama in Thursday's Nations League semifinals before competing in either the tournament's third-place playoff or final next Monday. The United States and Mexico meet in the other Nations League semifinal.
Canada is participating in the Gold Cup from June 27, but Hutchinson said he "most likely" won't play in that competition.
Hutchinson represented clubs in Ontario, Canada, before he first moved to Europe to join Sweden's Oster. He stayed in the Swedish top tier with Helsingborg following Oster's relegation and also enjoyed trophy-winning spells with Denmark's FC Copenhagen, the Netherlands' PSV Eindhoven, and Turkey's Besiktas. He spent 10 years with the latter.
"Atiba Hutchinson is a figure who will forever hold a place in Besiktas' history," midfielder Necip Uysal said in a farewell documentary the club released last week.
"Let's set aside his football career for a moment," striker Cenk Tosun added. "I would give Atiba a solid 10 out of 10 when it comes to his personality."
The veteran scored a last-minute penalty in his final match for Besiktas to become the oldest goalscorer in Turkish Super Lig history.
Hutchinson appeared in each of Canada's three group-stage matches at last winter's World Cup. He also featured in six editions of the Gold Cup. Hutchinson made his international debut in 2003.
"I want to bring the experience in these types of moments, knowing what it takes to win a trophy," Hutchinson said ahead of Canada's Nations League fixtures. "We actually haven't won anything as a team. I just want to be a leader."