Paco Alcácer hangs up his boots at 32 after Sharjah contract | OneFootball

Paco Alcácer has retired from professional football at 32 after completing his contract with Sharjah, according to AS. He stepped away quietly, with no statements or farewells.

A Valencia academy graduate, he debuted for the first team aged 17 in a Copa tie in 2010. After a year at Getafe, he returned to become Mestalla’s leading striker. He spent four seasons at Valencia before a controversial switch to Barcelona, leaving with 124 appearances and 43 goals.

Joining Lionel Messi’s Barcelona, he carved out a role and scored 15 goals in 50 games. In August 2018 Barcelona loaned him to Borussia Dortmund, who triggered a purchase option that November. He stayed until January 2020, playing 47 matches and scoring 26 goals.

Alcácer then returned to LaLiga with Villarreal for three seasons, making 76 appearances and scoring 21 goals at La Cerámica. He later moved to Sharjah, where he played the last four years before his deal expired last June.

He represented Spain at every youth level and won 19 senior caps, scoring 12 goals. He did not feature at a major tournament, though he led the line for La Roja for a spell. He leaves a distinctive career across elite clubs and the sense he might have been a long-term Valencia talisman had he stayed longer.

Source: AS