Former Belgium international forward Dries Mertens has announced his retirement from professional football, as his contract with Turkish champions Galatasaray is set to expire at the end of June.
The 38-year-old made the announcement in a video shared on social media on Sunday, confirming that he is stepping away from the professional game. However, he revealed that he will make one final appearance in an exhibition match organized by former Napoli teammate Marek Hamsik in July.
Mertens leaves behind a storied career, most notably with Napoli, where he became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, netting 148 goals. During his time in Naples, he won two Coppa Italia titles and solidified his place as a club legend before moving to Galatasaray in 2022.
At Galatasaray, Mertens added further silverware to his career by winning three consecutive Turkish Süper Lig titles.
On the international stage, Mertens earned 109 caps for Belgium and scored 21 goals. He last featured for the national team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Belgium were eliminated in the group stage.
