Dries Mertens retires: the'last game with captain Marek Hamsik

Dries Mertens has let it be known that his footballing career has come to an end. The 38-year-old Belgian chose a curious way to announce his retirement, namely a message letting it be known that he will participate in the farewell match of Marek Hamsik, the “his captain”.
“Great Marek, I can’t wait to play the last game with you. I have given up soccer and for the last time I will put on my shoes only for you, because you remain the captain and the strongest man I have played with” the words of the Belgian striker who, therefore, will participate in Marek Hamsik’s farewell match but will do so to say goodbye, too, to the world of soccer.
The Belgian striker will be in the soccer world.
The date, at this point really not to be missed, is for next July 5 at the Tehelne Pole stadium in Bratislava to celebrate, together, two soccer legends and two beloved stars of Napoli, the club where they made history and where they showed the best of their repertoire.
It should be recalled that Dries Mertens wore the Azzurri’s jersey for no fewer than nine seasons, scoring a whopping 148 goals in 397 total games. With Napoli, the Belgian center forward won the Coppa Italia and an Italian Super Cup twice. In the last three seasons, from 2022 to 2025, he played with Galatasaray’s jersey, scoring 25 total goals and winning three domestic titles in a row.