The Peruvian soccer player and longtime Schalke player Jefferson Farfán has announced the end of his career. "After so much joy and the fulfillment of my greatest dreams, it's time to say goodbye to the ball and close this beautiful stage of my life," Farfán's Instagram account said on Friday. "Thank you everyone for the unconditional support, thank you football."

The 38-year-old played for FC Schalke 04 from 2008 to 2015 and scored 39 goals in 170 Bundesliga games. "A great career comes to an end today. Thank you for your time in royal blue and all the best in your new life, Jef!" tweeted the Bundesliga club.

After his time at Schalke, where he was nicknamed "Düsen-Jeff" because of his enormous speed, Farfán moved to Al-Jazira Club Abu Dhabi and later to Lokomotiv Moscow. He has been under contract with Alianza Lima in Peru since 2021. Farfán qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with his home country.

An emotional video on Instagram reviewed key moments in Farfán's career. "I made my way in the tough Bundesliga, where I could play against the best in the world for more than seven years of my life," read part of the text.

"Then I came to Russia, a wonderful country where I could become champion. But most importantly, it was there that I fulfilled my biggest dream of representing my Peru at a World Cup. I would say that it was the best moment of my football career ."

Instagram Farfan