Rio de Janeiro: Julio Cesar has retired from football after playing a last match for boyhood club Flamengo.
The 38-year-old former Brazil, Inter Milan and Benfica goalkeeper kept a clean sheet Saturday night at the historic Maracana stadium as his team beat America 2-0 in the second round of the Brazilian championship.
“I cried a lot during the week already,” a tearful Cesar said at the end of the match.
Cesar was a starter for Brazil in two of the last three World Cups.
His accolades include five Italian titles and the 2010 Champions League title with Inter, three Portuguese titles with Benfica and the 2004 Copa America with Brazil.
Cesar returned to Flamengo in January only to finish his career at the club he began his professional career in 1997.
