Danish and Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel announced his retirement from professional football Wednesday after a serious shoulder injury failed to heal properly.
The 39-year-old initially hurt the shoulder during Denmark's Nations League quarter-final loss to Portugal in March 2025. He continued playing because his team had exhausted all substitutes, but the injury worsened during Celtic's Europa League defeat to Stuttgart in February.
His last match was a Scottish Premiership loss to Hibernian on February 22. His contract with Celtic expires in June.
"The surgeons and experts told me I should not expect to return to top-level football," Schmeichel told TV 2 Sport. "I believe now is the right time."
Schmeichel earned 120 caps for Denmark, playing in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and helping the team reach the Euro 2020 semifinals. He began at Manchester City but made his name at Leicester City, winning the 2015-16 Premier League title and the 2021 FA Cup over 479 appearances. He also played for Nice and Anderlecht before joining Celtic, where he won two Scottish Premiership titles and a League Cup.
"I dreamed of saying goodbye on the pitch, but you don't always get what you want," he said.