Former Barcelona and Brazil international midfielder Paulinho announced his retirement on Sunday after a professional career spanning 18 years.

The 36-year-old had been without a club since June, when his contract expired with Brazilian Serie A club Corinthians.

"It's difficult to say that I'm now an ex-footballer," Paulinho said in a video posted on social media.

"I feel privileged to have had the career I've had and I'm grateful for what I've achieved. I was persistent and single minded because I knew there was no alternative. It was football or nothing."

Paulinho began his career with Sao Paulo-based club Pao de Acucar in 2006 but rose to prominence as a key member of the Corinthians team that won the 2011 Brazilian Serie A title and the 2012 Copa Libertadores.

He later had spells at Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Guangzhou Evergrande and Al-Ahli before returning to Corinthians in January 2022.

For Brazil, Paulinho made 56 appearances and scored 13 goals from 2011 and 2018.

He was a part of the Selecao squad at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups and played an important role in the team's 2013 Confederations Cup triumph.

"There is nothing that can compare to the pride I felt when seeing my name on the [Brazil] list for the World Cup," Paulinho said, adding that he hoped to remain involved in football as an administrator.

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