Javier Pastore has hinted that he will retire before the end of June 2025.
Pastore’s last match was in May 2023 with Qatar SC and the 35 year old has attributed that due to fitness issues. Speaking in an interview with Relevo, here is what he had to say:
“My body couldn’t take it anymore. The hip injury was very hard and limited my ability to play fútbol. Fútbol was leaving me and my head was losing strength because it was unbearable. We left each other.
“Fútbol has changed. It’s much more physical, less technical and it’s not the best conditions for my style of play. In the last few years I wasn’t 100% physically and the dialogues with the coaches were about having to run more and be faster.
“They no longer think so much about the importance of a player in the development of a game, in giving a good pass, an assist, making others play or scoring a goal. The first thing is to run a lot and be big. After that, if you play well and think, the better.
“I’m not an athlete and I’m not going to be able to train to achieve that. What makes me happy is to play ball, not to run 20 km per game.”
With the Argentina national team, Pastore took part in the 2010 World Cup, the 2011 Copa America, the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America. He started his career with Talleres before making the jump over to Huracán.
After Huracán, he would go on to join Palermo in Europe, becoming one of the best young players in the world. He would move to Paris Saint-Germain, spending seven years at the club before joining AS Roma. He would go on to join Elche before playing for Qatar SC.
