Oribe Peralta announces his retirement as a professional player

Oribe Peralta announced his farewell to the soccer field on Wednesday, just after his 38th birthday and after leaving Chivas and not finding a good option to continue his career.

The historic Mexican striker, who made his debut in the top Mexican league on February 22, 2003 with Monarcas Morelia, almost 19 years ago, made the official announcement through his social networks.

The striker posted "19 years of wearing the professional jersey, plus a lifetime of dedication and devotion. This is my way of saying goodbye and above all to thank you, my fans, and each and every one of the people who made this dream possible. Valen Oro!", a message that was accompanied by an emotional video.

"Soccer depends on a ball and that's how I grabbed onto it as if it depended on my existence. The ball is joy. From the moment we met, it gave me a dream," said the now former striker. 

Oribe's future was in the air

Oribe's future was a mystery. There was speculation about his possible signing with Alianza de El Salvador and there were also rumors that he could return to Santos, the team where he made his name, and after the arrival of Pedro Caixinha to the bench, it seemed possible. However, there was nothing official and, in the end, the return of "the prodigal son" to Torreón did not occur.

Peralta played for 7 Liga MX clubs

Peralta played for Morelia, León, Monterrey, Santos, Jaguares, América and Chivas, although his last stint with the Rebaño was the worst in his career, scoring only one goal from a penalty kick in 33 Liga MX matches played with the team from Guadalajara, as well as another goal in the now disappeared Copa MX.

Peralta was a key player in winning the gold medal in 2012

Oribe Peralta will always be remembered for the two goals he scored against Brazil in the Final that Mexico beat the Amazonians 2-1 at Wembley to win the gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as the mark he left especially among the fans of Santos Laguna and América, where he lived his best period as a soccer player between 2010 and 2018.

Since Tuesday, January 11, the player had posted on Twitter that he was going to clarify his future

"Tomorrow is my birthday and I want to take advantage of this special date for me to share with you news about my soccer future. See you here: January 12 at 12:12 PM with all the details," Oribe wrote.