"My love of football comes from my grandfather. He wanted me to be a professional and I did everything I could to achieve that. When I was 18, Real Madrid knocked on my door and I went. I can say that I'm more of a Madrileno.
"With my wife, I started a family there. 16 seasons, 25 titles, five Champions Leagues, one of the captains and so many magical nights at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid is a unique club. Madridismo is an indescribable feeling.
"Playing in my country's jersey since I was a youth player was a great honour. I can remember two Olympic medals and a Confederations Cup.
"Returning to Fluminense was giving back to the club what it gave me, I helped win three titles, including the Libertadores, and I left a legacy for the youngsters with the Marcelo Vieira stadium. My story as a player ends here, but I still have a lot to give to football," said Marcelo in his video statement.
A Fluminense product, Marcelo made 40 appearances for the Rio de Janeiro club between 2005 and 2006, attracting the attention of Real Madrid. He moved to the Spanish capital aged 18 and ended up becoming a benchmark for the left-back position globally.
He made 546 appearances, scoring 38 goals and providing 83 assists. He was in the team of the year six times, won five Champions Leagues, was Spanish champion on six occasions and won four Club World Cups as the main trophies, to which he also added five Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups and two Copa del Rey trophies.
He left the Santiago Bernabeu in 2023 after 16 years, heading first to Olympiacos, where he played just 10 games, and then back to Fluminense to end his career where it all began. He played a further 68 games for the Carioca outfit and helped them win an unprecedented Libertadores trophy last year.
A Brazil international on 58 occasions, he played in two World Cups (2014 and 2018), two Olympic Games (2008 and 2012) and was at the 2013 Confederations Cup.