Official: Axel Witsel calls time on Belgium career

The Belgian ends his international career

Europe Today at 13:38

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Official: Axel Witsel calls time on Belgium career

After spending 18 years representing Belgium, Axel Witsel has officially announced his retirement from international football.

Aged 37, Axel Witsel made 140 appearances for the Red Devils. He is the second-most-capped player in the history of the Belgian national team, behind Jan Vertonghen (157 caps). The Nice player also took part in four World Cups during his career (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).

“This time, it’s for good. I have decided to bring my international career to an end. It is time to make way for the young players and the new generation. It was an immense source of pride to give everything over those 18 years. I would never have imagined achieving so much when I started, at just 18 years old. We still experienced some incredible moments! Thank you to the supporters. Thank you to all my teammates, all my coaches and everyone within the federation who contributed, directly or indirectly, to my development throughout all these years. Best of luck to the team for the future. I am certain that its future will be bright.”, wrote the former Borussia Dortmund player on his social media accounts.

Cette fois-ci, c’est la bonne. J’ai pris la décision de mettre un terme à ma carrière internationale.

Il est temps de laisser la place aux jeunes et à la nouvelle génération. Ce fut une immense fierté d’avoir tout donné durant ces 18 années. Je n’aurais jamais imaginé accomplir… pic.twitter.com/m29Jw5zR4w
— Axel Witsel (@axelwitsel28) September 16, 2026

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.