Italy's Euro 2020 winner Ciro Immobile retires from football at 36 after 17-year career

Retirement announcement

Ciro Immobile announced his retirement from professional football on Friday, 14 August 2026, via a video published on Paris FC's social media channels. The 36-year-old striker had joined the French club from Bologna in early 2026 (Reuters reports February, AGI reports January 2026) and made 12 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring twice. Paris FC paid tribute to its departing player on social media.

Ciro Immobile is a legend. After 650 matches, over 320 goals and multiple trophies in his palmarès, Ciro Immobile puts an end to his immense career. An exceptional player who marked several generations.

In his farewell video, Immobile addressed his Paris FC teammates and spoke about the difficulty of the decision.

This is a hard moment for me because it's the end of a great journey, of a part of my life. I love football with all my heart, but I want to be honest with myself about the current situation. It wasn't an easy decision. You are a great family. I'm happy to be with you, to be part of this club, of the new coach and his staff, really with everyone, but for me the moment has come to be with my family, to spend more time with my family. They followed me everywhere. I need it after 17 years. If I don't feel I can give my maximum, even if it's hard, my decision is to end my career here.

Career by the numbers

Sources differ on the exact totals. Reuters reports 306 goals in 599 club matches across all competitions, while ANSA, Fanpage, Mediafax, NewsIT and Adnkronos cite 350 goals in 656 career matches. All sources agree on his international record: 17 goals in 57 appearances for Italy. Immobile was Serie A's leading scorer four times and equalled Gonzalo Higuain's single-season record of 36 Serie A goals in the 2019-20 season, earning the European Golden Shoe. He was also the Europa League's top scorer in 2020. While most sources describe a 17-year career at the top level, Mediafax counts 20 years including his early spells at Sorrento and Grosseto.

The Lazio years

Immobile's most productive period came during eight seasons at Lazio, where he became the club's all-time leading scorer with 207 goals in 340 appearances. He won the Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups with the Rome club. Mediafax places his Lazio tenure between 2016 and 2024. Adnkronos reports five club titles in total across his career, including the Lazio trophies.

International glory

Immobile was part of the Italy squad that won Euro 2020, held in 2021 after a one-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He scored twice during the tournament, which concluded with Italy's victory over England in the final at Wembley in July 2021. Mediafax notes that the squad was coached by Roberto Mancini.

Clubs across Europe

Immobile's career took him through clubs in Italy, Germany, Spain and Turkey. He played for Juventus, Pescara, Genoa, Torino, Lazio, Bologna, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Besiktas before his final stint at Paris FC. Mediafax also mentions early-career spells at Sorrento in Serie C and Grosseto, and notes he helped Pescara win promotion to Serie A. Adnkronos identifies the new Paris FC coach as Liam Rosenior.

In his farewell message, Immobile asked supporters not to feel sorrow about his departure.

Don't be sad for me because I'm happy to be with my family and to start thinking about new projects for my future. Thank you all, guys! Bye!