Barcelona and Argentina striker Sergio Aguero announced his retirement from football on Wednesday at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with a heart condition, bringing the curtain down on an 18-year career during which he scored more than 400 goals.
Aguero was taken to hospital on October 30 after experiencing chest pain and breathing difficulties in Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Alaves. The club announced a few days later that he would be out for at least three months following cardiac analysis.
"This press conference is to communicate that I've decided to stop playing soccer. It's a very hard moment but I'm at peace with the decision I made," a tearful Aguero told a gathering at the Camp Nou.
"It's a decision that I made to preserve my health. It's what the doctors said to me, that it would be better to stop playing. I made the decision around 10 days ago.