The Atlético Madrid defender confirmed the decision in a personal statement shared on social media on Thursday. “I’ve decided to bring my time with the Spanish national team to an end despite I’m aware that I’m still young,” Llorente said.
“It’s a personal decision, one I’ve thought about very carefully and, above all, one that comes from the heart,” he added. “It has been an honour to represent my country.”
Llorente made clear that the choice was not influenced by Spain’s World Cup success. “Regardless of whether I would have gone to the World Cup or not, or whether we would have won it or not, I had already made this decision,” he explained.
The versatile right-back earned 27 caps for Spain after making his senior debut under Luis Enrique in November 2020. He featured at Euro 2020 and two World Cups, including the triumphant 2026 campaign in which Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final.
During the tournament, Llorente started matches against Cape Verde and Uruguay and came off the bench in the semi-final victory over France. He remained an unused substitute in the final.
In his farewell message, Llorente reflected warmly on his international career and particularly the recent World Cup journey. He paid tribute to his teammates, describing the group as “a wonderful team that fought until the very end to put Spain at the top.”
Llorente’s decision brings an early end to a national-team career that many expected to continue for several more years. The player has previously spoken about prioritising personal fulfilment and listening to his body rather than extending his career purely for the sake of longevity.
At club level, Llorente remains a key figure for Atlético Madrid, where he continues to contribute as a reliable and hard-working presence in midfield and defence.
Spain’s World Cup-winning squad now loses one of its experienced members as the new cycle under coach Luis de la Fuente begins. Llorente leaves the national team on the highest possible note — as a world champion.