Rafael Marquez plans retire after 2014 World Cup

The New York Red Bulls defender Rafael Marquez said he is considering retiring after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The 32 year old stopper, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, is confident that he remains capable pf helping Mexico during the qualifying campaign and stated he wants to stay involved in football after his retirement.

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"I would love to go to this World Cup and perhaps then say goodbye to fotball, after i retire i would like to be a coach or an advisor to some club." Marquez said.

Rafael Marquez has been linked with Brazilian club Flamengo in recent times, but he expressedhis wish to stay at New York Red Bulls for 3 more years or as long as his body can handle the demands of Football.

Rafael Marquez Info

Rafael Márquez Álvarez (born 13 February 1979 in Zamora, Michoacán) is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder.

He spent over a decade playing in France and Spain and is considered one of the best Mexican defenders of all time. He won numerous titles with Monaco and FC Barcelona. After winning the 2006 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, he became the first Mexican to win the honour, something Mexican legend Hugo Sánchez was not able to do while playing for Real Madrid.

Brazilian Club Flamengo

The club was established in 1885, although it played its first official game in 1912. Flamengo have won the Brasileirão on six occasions, most recently in the 2009 season, the Copa do Brasil twice and the Campeonato Carioca a record 32 times. Due to its low capacity, Flamengo's home stadium, Gávea, is rarely used and the club ops for the government owned Maracanã, the biggest football stadium in Brazil, with a capacity of 82,238. Since the Maracanã is now going through a renovation to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics, the Engenhão is currently being used to host Flamengo matches.

Flamengo is the most popular team in Brazil, with over 36 million followers as of 2010,and was voted by FIFA as one of the most successful football club of the 20th century. It is also one of Brazil's richest football clubs in terms of revenue, with an annual revenue of $75.5m (€52.6m), and the most valuable club in South America, worth over $357.2m (€248.7m) in 2011. The club has long-standing rivalries with near neighbours Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama.