Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has confirmed his retirement from international football.

The 31-year-old centre-half was part of the Spain team that won the country's first world title in 2010 and was also a starter in the UEFA EURO 2012 final, when La Roja won their third successive major championship. He made 102 appearances for the national team between 2009 and 2018, scoring five times.

Pique's decision has long been expected but was confirmed yesterday, as Barcelona prepare to begin their 2018/19 season against Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup in Tangier, Morocco, later today.

"I spoke to Luis Enrique a few days ago," Pique said. "He called me and I told him the decision was taken a long time ago and that I had thought about it carefully.

"It was a beautiful time with the national team, in which I had the chance to win the World Cup and the European Championship. Now I want to focus on Barça," he added. "I have a few years left here and I'm going to enjoy them a lot."