Former Chelsea player, Charly Musonda
Former Chelsea and Belgium highly-rated prospect, Charly Musonda, has announced his retirement from football at just 28 years old.
Musonda joined Chelsea’s academy from Anderlecht in 2012, arriving with a lot of hype and quickly shining in the Blues’ trophy-laden youth teams.
However, his senior career at Stamford Bridge was hampered by injuries, limiting him to just seven first-team appearances.
During his time at Chelsea, he had loan spells at Real Betis, Celtic, and Vitesse.
Injuries severely impacted the Belgian’s trajectory, particularly a serious knee issue sustained during his loan at Vitesse, which led doctors to believe he might never play professionally again.
Despite defying those predictions and returning to play for Chelsea’s Under-23 team, he ultimately left the club in 2022 after his contract expired, a departure he claims greatly affected him.
After leaving Chelsea, Musonda joined Spanish side Levante, then moved to Cypriot club Anorthosis a year later, his final club, which he departed last year.
Musonda confirmed his decision to hang up his boots on Rising Ballers’ YouTube channel on June 30, 2025, during an interview, stating, “It took some time. I have been thinking about it for the last couple of years. Purely because of my own experiences and who I am as a person.”
“I want to be doing things with purpose. I want to inspire and motivate people. I want to create opportunities. I am starting something new that will hopefully help players,” he expressed his future aspirations, focusing on purpose and making a difference.
“Today, I have made a decision… I am going to retire from professional football,” he continued.
“It is not an easy decision, but I am building up towards the next stage now. I will still be involved in football, in roles to help players express themselves and giving them an opportunity to showcase how good they are… I want to help players who don’t have the chance to showcase their talent. I know how it feels and with football changing so much, many players never get the opportunity to show what they can do, I want to make a difference,” he added.
PM/VPO
GhanaWeb Special: The gold market that fuels galamsey
How social engineering hacks your mind and your bank account
