Juba Touabi, Media365, published on Monday, June 23, 2025 at 5:59 p.m.
Dries Mertens, one of the most significant figures in Belgian football in the last decade, announced the end of his professional career.
The 38 -year -old striker at the end of the contract with Galatasaray, chose a sober farewell, in his image: a video addressed to Marek Hamsik, his former accomplice in Naples. Mertens will crowd the lawn one last time in a tribute match in Hamsik, scheduled for early July. “” I stop football but I will put my crampons one last time just for you “He confides in this video, recalling the strong ties woven in Naples between the two players.
A great adventure in Naples
The former Belgian international joined Naples in 2013. It was in Campania that he scored his name in legend: with 148 goals in 397 games, he became the top scorer in the history of the club. Its refined technique and self -denial made it one of the favorites of the Neapolitan public. In 2022, he took up a final challenge in Galatasaray. In three seasons in Istanbul, he played 136 games, scored 25 goals and issues 44 assists, enriching his record of three champion titles, a national cup and a supercup.
With 109 selections and 21 goals in the jersey of the Red Devils, Dries Mertens was a central player in the Belgian golden generation. He participated in three World Cups and two final European Cup phases. His last international match dates back to December 2022 in Qatar. Dries Mertens leaves the land without international crown, but with unanimous respect for the football sphere. His choice to fade without splendor, favoring tribute to a friend rather than a spectacular announcement, is like his career: sincere, loyal, and marked by the love of the game.
