Koke discusses Atlético retirement amid looming FIFA Club World Cup

The captain is the club’s all-time appearances leader.

Atlético Madrid skipper Jorge Resurrección Merodio “Koke” has given an interview about the newly-restructured FIFA Club World Cup in which he discusses his potential retirement from football — and it might be coming sooner than previously thought.

“My career is almost over, so to speak, and I don’t know if I will be able to play for four more years,” Koke told FIFA. “We have to enjoy (the tournament) and we have the goal of fighting to win this title, which is something new, and I think all the teams and all the participants, all the players, want to win it.”

Koke, who has made a club-record 671 appearances for Atlético, signed a one-year contract renewal last March that includes an “annual review” clause, in which he has to let the club know (prior to the end of the current season) whether he wants to stay or leave. The 2024/25 campaign has seen Koke, for the first time, lose his position as an undisputed starter under Diego Simeone — sparking speculation that he could be playing his final months for the club he has represented since he was six years old.

Koke has started 21 of his 34 appearances in all competitions, settling in to a role as Simeone’s first midfielder off the bench while Pablo Barrios continues to grow as the captain’s eventual successor. The 33-year-old played an important role in settling down Atlético after Real Madrid equalized in Saturday’s Madrid Derby, which ended in a 1-1 draw that keeps Atleti (49 points) right behind its fierce rivals (50 points) for top spot in LaLiga. FC Barcelona (48 points) drew closer to both capital clubs after defeating Sevilla on Sunday, setting the stage for a dramatic three-way sprint for the Spanish title.