Rakitic played a total of 887 official matches for a number of top sides including FC Basel, Sevilla, FC Barcelona, Hajduk Split and Al-Shabab. He posted a video to fans on YouTube, thanking football for the friendships, the lessons, his family, and the chance to live out all his dreams.
Rakitic has played 633 games in Spain, scoring 86 goals and making 105 assists for Sevilla and Barcelona. Last season he played 39 matches in Croatia, scoring 2 goals and making 5 assists. He was named Croatia's Footballer of the Year in 2015 after lifting the Champions League with Barcelona where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career.
Sevilla was among the first to react to Rakitic’s retirement before FC Barcelona also paid tribute, posting a tweet featuring a photo of the Croatian with all the trophies he won while wearing the Blaugrana jersey. They sent a message to the iconic midfielder:
“Football will miss you, Ivan. We wish you all the best in this new chapter of your life,”