Former Belgium forward Dries Mertens has announced his retirement from professional football, with his contract at Galatasaray set to expire at the end of June.
The 38-year-old confirmed his decision in a video shared on social media Sunday, noting he will make a final appearance in a July testimonial match organised by his former Napoli teammate Marek Hamsik.
Mertens leaves the game as Napoli’s all-time leading scorer with 148 goals, having won two Coppa Italia titles during his nine-year spell at the club. He later joined Galatasaray, where he helped secure the Turkish Super Lig title in 2022.
On the international stage, Mertens earned 109 caps for Belgium, scoring 21 goals, with his final appearance coming at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
