Sergio Agüero was forced to call it quits on Wednesday, retiring at 33 due to a heart condition discovered following what wound up being his final appearance as a player, on Oct. 30 for Barcelona vs. Alavés.
It brings an end to a storied career for a player who is seemingly universally beloved. He was responsible for the greatest finish to a Premier League season ever with his historic, dramatic, title-winning goal for Manchester City in 2012. That moment was part of his record-setting run at City, where he became the club's all-time leading goalscorer and one of the top forwards in the history of the English top flight.
That followed a standout run at Atlético Madrid, where he grew to prominence following his emergence at Independiente in his native Argentina. He had signed with Barcelona with the hopes of playing alongside his great friend, Lionel Messi, with the two teaming to help Argentina win the 2021 Copa América and end their nation's 28-year trophy drought. But Messi was unable to re-sign with Barça due to the club's dire financial situation, rendering that dream impossible. Instead, Messi leads the tributes to Agüero, whose retirement has generated heartfelt reaction from former teammates, clubs, coaches, governing bodies and more from around the soccer world:
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