Daley Blind, a defender for the Netherlands, has announced his retirement from international competition.
The 34-year-old scored three goals for his country and amassed 108 caps for the Netherlands, ranking him as the team’s seventh most-capped player.
In a social media post, Blind said that representing the Netherlands was his “greatest achievement” and that he had a conversation with head coach Ronaldo Koeman before deciding to retire from international play.
“For 11 years, I did everything in my power to keep wearing that beautiful Orange shirt,” Blind said. “It has brought me so much, so many beautiful moments. I cherish them.
“A new, talented generation is emerging and after a good conversation with the national coach, it is time for me to fully focus on my club and my family.”
Blind played just one international match, coming on as a substitute during stoppage time in his country’s European Championship last-16 victory over Romania.
Forever a Lion. 🦁
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) August 14, 2024
Thank you for everything, Daley. 🧡#NothingLikeOranje pic.twitter.com/7VCHVXCqBw
Blind participated in his fourth big international competition in Euro 2024. After missing out on Euro 2016 and 2018, he also played for the Netherlands in Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup. He had previously excelled for the country in the 2014 World Cup.
In the Netherlands’ 5-1 victory over Spain in the 2014 World Cup opener, Blind assisted Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie twice. He also scored in the team’s 3-0 triumph over Brazil in the third-place play-offs. In his country’s 2022 World Cup last-16 victory over the United States, he also found the net.
His club career has included two periods at Ajax in addition to appearances at Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and his current club, Girona. He is the son of former Netherlands international Danny Blind.
Blind was diagnosed with myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, in December 2019 after experiencing lightheadedness during Ajax’s Champions League match against Valencia.
An implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device that monitors and corrects cardiac rhythm, was placed in him.
When the incident recurred eight months later in 2020 at a preseason friendly against Ajax, Blind collapsed. This required additional testing and a hospital stay, but he was told his playing career could go on.
Blind said he was “near to another heart attack” during that episode and that his ICD device had buzzed because his heart rate had gotten too high in an interview with The Athletic from the previous year.
(Inaki Esnaola/Getty Images)
