Ciro Immobile, aged 36, retired from professional football on August 14, 2026, after a career spanning 17 years according to most sources [1, 2, 3]. He made the announcement via video, explaining that injuries since August 2025 had made it difficult to maintain training and performance levels [4]. Immobile said, "If I can't keep pushing myself in training without pain, it's really hard," and described the decision as one of the hardest of his life [4].

Immobile last played for Paris FC in Ligue 1, joining the club from Bologna in January 2026. He made 12 appearances and scored 2 goals for Paris FC before retiring [1, 2, 4, 3]. Prior to that, he spent the 2024-25 season with Besiktas, scoring 19 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions [3].

He enjoyed his greatest club success at Lazio from 2016 to 2024, becoming the club’s all-time top scorer with 207 goals in 340 appearances [1, 2, 4, 3]. Immobile won the European Golden Shoe in 2020 after scoring 36 goals in Serie A, equaling the league's single-season scoring record, and was Serie A’s top scorer four times [1, 2, 4, 3].

On the international stage, Immobile was part of Italy’s Euro 2020-winning squad, held in July 2021 after a COVID-19 delay. He scored twice in the tournament as Italy secured the title [1, 2, 4, 3]. Overall, he tallied 17 goals in 57 appearances for Italy [1, 2, 4, 3].

Over his career, Immobile scored 306 goals in 599 club appearances, though one source lists 350 goals in 656 matches and a career length of 20 years, showing some discrepancies in statistics [1, 2, 4, 3]. He also represented Juventus, Pescara, Genoa, Torino, Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, Besiktas, Bologna, and Paris FC during his career [1, 2, 4, 3].

In his retirement statement, Immobile said, "This is a very difficult moment for me because it means the best time of my life is ending. I love this job with all my heart, but I have to be honest with my current condition" [4]. Paris FC also said Immobile wished to devote more time to his family after 17 years as a professional [1].

Immobile’s official retirement announcement on August 14 concludes a long and prolific career that began around 2009. His next steps remain focused on personal life after football [1, 2, 4, 3].