Title: Belgian Vertonghen Announces His Retirement from International Football

Belgian team captain Jan Vertonghen announced his retirement from international football today, Friday, after playing 157 matches for his country's national football team. Vertonghen, 37 years old, shared a brief message on social media stating, "Thank you for all the memories, I lived my dream." He made his debut with the national team at the beginning of 2007 at the age of 20 in a European Championship qualifier when Belgium lost 2-1 at home to Portugal. He occasionally took on the role of team captain during his participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where Belgium reached the quarter-finals. Vertonghen also participated in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Belgium exited the competition early. He played in the last three European Championships, including a round of 16 match against France earlier this week, where an unfortunate own goal in the final minutes of the match led to Belgium's elimination. The future of the central defender at the club level is uncertain as his contract with Anderlecht ended at the end of last month.