Blind retires from international football after 108 caps for the Netherlands
Former Manchester United and Bayern Munich defender Daley Blind announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday, bringing an end to his 11-year career with the Netherlands national team.
The 34-year-old earned 108 caps for the Oranje, participating in two World Cups where the Dutch team reached the semi-finals in 2014 and the quarter-finals in 2022, both times losing to Argentina.
Blind expressed his decision to step aside in a message on X (formerly Twitter), citing the emergence of a “talented new generation” and his desire to focus on his club career and family. “It was an honour to wear the Oranje shirt 108 times, for me that is the greatest thing a player can achieve: representing your country,” he said.
A product of the Ajax youth system, Blind enjoyed a successful career at both club and international levels. He won four consecutive Eredivisie titles with Ajax before transferring to Manchester United in 2014 under Dutch coach Louis van Gaal. At United, he added an FA Cup and a Europa League title to his accolades before returning to Ajax in 2018, where he won three more Eredivisie titles.
In January 2023, Blind joined Bayern Munich, contributing to their Bundesliga title win, before moving to Girona in La Liga.
Blind’s career was marked by resilience, particularly after being diagnosed with inflammation of the muscles around his heart in 2019. Despite the health scare, which required him to have a heart defibrillator fitted, Blind continued to play at the highest level.
“For 11 years I have done everything I could to keep wearing that beautiful Oranje shirt. It has given me so much, so many beautiful moments. I cherish them,” Blind reflected. His international journey began in 2013 with a debut against Italy, and his final appearance came as a substitute against Romania at Euro 2024.
(Source: AFP)
