Before Lionel Messi finally led Argentina to major international glory, he endured some brutal moments with the national team—none more painful than back-to-back Copa America final defeats to Chile in 2015 and 2016, both decided by penalty shootouts. Those losses left a lasting mark on Argentine soccer, and one of Messi’s teammates from both finals—a FIFA Puskas Award winner who lit up the Premier League—has now announced his retirement from professional soccer at age 33.
According to Argentine journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, Erik Lamela has terminated his contract with Greek side AEK Athens to retire from playing and join the coaching staff of Matias Almeyda, the current Sevilla boss. Almeyda is a familiar face for Lamela, having played alongside him at River Plate and later coached him this past season in Greece.
Lamela, an attacking midfielder, closes the book on a 16-year professional career that began at River Plate before taking him to Roma, Tottenham Hotspur, Sevilla, and finally AEK Athens. He earned 25 caps for Argentina, scoring three goals, and shared the pitch with Messi during several major tournaments.
Despite spending eight seasons in the Premier League with Tottenham, Lamela’s lone major club trophy came with Sevilla, winning the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League. However, his career also boasts one of soccer’s most spectacular individual honors: the 2011 FIFA Puskas Award for his outrageous rabona goal against Arsenal—a prize Messi himself has been nominated for three times but never won.
Erik Lamela’s career
Lamela broke into professional soccer at just 17, making his debut for River Plate in 2009. Over two seasons, he became one of the club’s brightest young talents, though he never lifted a trophy with the Argentine giants.
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In mid-2011, following River’s first-ever relegation, Lamela made a $12 million move to AS Roma. His two seasons in Serie A saw him tally 21 goals in 67 appearances, catching the eye of Tottenham Hotspur, who signed him ahead of the 2013–14 Premier League season.
North London became Lamela’s longest stop in Europe—eight seasons, 257 matches, and 37 goals. While at Spurs, he twice won the Premier League Goal of the Season award and produced one of his career-defining moments: the 2011 FIFA Puskas Award.
In 2021, Lamela joined Sevilla, where he played until 2024 and helped the club capture the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League. His final season came with AEK Athens, scoring six goals in 31 appearances. Now, after 16 professional seasons, Lamela is set to stay in the game—only this time on the touchline, as part of Almeyda’s coaching staff at AEK.
