Artyom Dzyuba, Russia’s all-time leading scorer and former national football team captain, said Thursday that his professional playing career was likely over.
The 38-year-old striker has been without a club since departing Russian Premier League side FC Akron Tolyatti at the end of the 2025-26 season in May.
“My career is over. That’s it, guys,” Dzyuba told reporters, according to a video published by the outlet RB Sport.
He stopped short of issuing an official retirement statement, saying he could still play at the Fonbet Russian Cup, which started in July and runs through June 2027.
A product of Spartak Moscow’s youth academy, Dzyuba enjoyed a long career across Russian football.
In March 2025, while playing for newly promoted Akron Tolyatti, the Samara-based club founded in 2018, Dzyuba secured his place in Russian football history by scoring his 234th career goal.
Dzyuba racked up 264 total club and international goals over his professional career.
His club career saw him win four Russian Premier League titles, three Russian Super Cups and four Russian Cups. All but one were with Zenit St. Petersburg.
On the international stage, Dzyuba scored 31 goals in 56 caps for Russia, tying Alexander Kerzhakov as the top scorer in the history of the Russian national team.
Dzyuba rose to national prominence during Russia’s home 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he converted a game-tying penalty against Spain. Russia won 4-3 after a penalty shootout and reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1970.
