World Cup 2018: Arjen Robben retires from Netherlands duty after Sweden defeat
- Published
Netherlands captain Arjen Robben has retired from international football after his side missed out on a place at next summer's World Cup in Russia.
Robben scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Sweden - but they were not enough for the Dutch to reach the play-offs.
The Bayern Munich forward said: "It hasn't been an easy decision but I am 33 and now must give my full focus to my club."
Robben made his debut in April 2003 and won 96 caps, scoring 37 times.
He is joint fourth on the Netherlands' all-time goalscorer list, level with former Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp.
His dinked penalty and 20-yard shot put the Dutch 2-0 up early on against Sweden on Tuesday night but the Netherlands needed to win by seven clear goals to overtake Sweden and take second place.
Robben was part of the squads which finished third at the 2014 World Cup and lost the 2010 final to Spain.
- Published10 October 2017