RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis has confirmed he will retire from internationals after his country’s World Cup elimination in a penalty shootout loss to Costa Rica.
Karagounis leaves as Greece’s most capped player with 139 appearances over 15 years since making his debut in 1999. He also won the European Championship with Greece in 2004.
Karagounis’ Greece lost in a shootout in the round of 16 on Sunday after having a man advantage for nearly an hour following Oscar Duarte’s 66th-minute red card for Costa Rica at Arena Pernambuco.
Down 1-0, Greece equalized in injury-time at the end of the 90 minutes but couldn’t force a winner in extra time, despite launching attack after attack.
The 37-year-old Karagounis said “you don’t always get such breaks in life.”
