MEXICAN MIDFIELDER GUARDADO QUITS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL.

Andres Guardado, a midfielder for Real Betis, revealed on Tuesday that he had left the Mexican national team after a 16-year international career.

The 36-year-old, who made his international debut in 2005, has played in five World Cups and has 181 games under his belt, making him Mexico’s most capped player.

It is difficult for me to put into words how grateful and blessed I feel for everything I have experienced over the past 16 years, Guardado said on Instagram.

“My sincere gratitude to my teammates, the entire staff, who play a vital role in the day-to-day operations, and of course, all the devoted supporters who have supported me for all these years… I am now one more of you!”

At the 2014 World Cup, when he also served as captain for the final time, Guardado played his final match for Mexico in a 2-0 defeat to Argentina in the group stage.

The Guadalajara native has played in Europe since joining Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna in 2007 and is currently in his sixth season with La Liga team Betis. Additionally, he has played for Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven, and Valencia.