Champions League winner Divock Origi retires at 31

Belgian forward Divock Origi, who last appeared on the pitch in April 2024, has retired at the age of 31. The Belgian is remembered by fans for his decisive goals in the Champions League, as well as goals at the World Cup. The player announced this on Instagram, UNN reports. 

My goal in football as a player has been achieved. I have fulfilled my childhood dreams - to play in the biggest arenas and win the most prestigious trophies. I am grateful to God for all of this. To my fans around the world who helped me express myself: every iconic moment, every goal, every page of history we created together will remain ours forever. To all the clubs, coaches, and teammates who stood by me - thank you. You shaped me not only as a footballer but as a person 

He noted that representing Belgium while carrying Kenya within him was a great joy for him.

And to my family and closest people… without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I am forever grateful to you. Mission accomplished. Now I am moving on to my next calling. There are many more journeys ahead 

Background

Divock Origi was born on April 18, 1995, in Belgium. He began his football career at local club Genk and later moved to the youth academy of French side Lille, where he started playing for the senior team. 

In 2014, English club Liverpool announced the signing of 19-year-old Origi to a 5-year contract. The transfer fee was 12 million euros. During his time with the Merseysiders, the Belgian won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Origi is best remembered by the English club's fans for his goal against Barcelona in the 2018/2019 Champions League semi-final, when Liverpool, having lost the first leg (3-0), managed to overcome Barca thanks to braces from Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum. 

In addition, in that Champions League campaign, Origi scored a goal against Tottenham in the final, which allowed his team to secure a 2-0 victory.

The Belgian left Liverpool as a free agent in 2022 and joined AC Milan as a free agent, where he received one of the highest salaries - 300,000 euros per month. In three years at Milan, Origi played only 27 games and scored two goals. 

In the summer of 2023, Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara, who were responsible for the club's transfer policy, were dismissed from Milan. Before the transfer window closed, the new management led by Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada reached an agreement with Nottingham Forest for a one-season loan for Origi with an option to buy. 

The English club did not want to activate the buyout option, so Origi returned to Milan, where he did not play a single match after the loan. The club wanted to get rid of its high-paid player. However, the compensation stipulated in the player's contract did not allow this to be done without financial losses, so the Belgian continued to train with the reserve team and almost never played for the first team. 

The player last appeared on the field in April 2024, and since December 2025, he has been a free agent. 

Origi made his debut for the national team at a major tournament - the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil. In his team's second match, Origi brought Belgium a 1-0 victory over Russia in the second round. This allowed the player to become the youngest Belgian player to score at a World Cup (19 years, 2 months, 3 days). 

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