Roberto Soldado has announced his retirement from football after being released by his last club, Levante.
Throughout his career, the striker played for Real Madrid, Osasuna, Getafe, Valencia, Villarreal, and Granada, with his most successful period at Los Che. This earned him a €30 million transfer to Tottenham Hotspur, where he struggled to prove himself before returning to Spain.
Soldado also spent two years in Turkey with Fenerbahçe. For Spain, he earned 12 caps and scored 7 goals, though he never participated in a major tournament.
“I have something to tell you: Today, I put an end to 21 years of a career and with it, I put an end to a dream that I had never thought would come true, much less that it would last this long. Thank you to my teammates, friends, family, coaches, and fans who supported me on this journey. Goodbye,” wrote Soldado.
In total, Soldado made 610 appearances, scoring 224 goals and providing 74 assists. During his time at Valencia, he scored 82 goals and provided 15 assists in 141 appearances, helping them qualify for the Champions League.
In his final years, he was a key part of the Granada squad that reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League, eliminating Napoli along the way. At Levante last season, he scored 5 goals in his 31 appearances, often coming off the bench.