Beach soccer: Babacar Fall, Senegal's record goalscorer, retires

Every adventure comes to an end. The one between Babacar Fall and the Senegal national beach soccer team has ended after this World Cup failure. It lasted 13 years. Thirteen years of glory, big emotions and, at times, some minor disappointments. He leaves after a first-round exit, having travelled with his team-mates to the United Arab Emirates hoping to finally lift the World Cup trophy. But when he looks back on his career, this disappointment counts for nothing against the immense career of the Senegal international, who lit up the world's finest beaches.

Babacar Fall leaves with six titles at the Africa Cup of Nations in beach soccer and two top scorer awards at the continental tournament, the first of which came in 2011, when he was officially making his debut for the national team. He departs without having netted his 100th goal in the green, yellow and red shirt, a target he wanted to reach in the United Arab Emirates. His tally therefore stays stuck at 99 goals in 142 caps. No one has scored as many for Senegal. "You have to know when to leave, with pride in a job well done," he wrote in announcing his departure.

With his international playing career over, Babacar Fall nonetheless hopes to remain in the sport, where he has made a name for himself and which has allowed him to showcase his talent across 5 continents. "I am leaving the national team, but I remain available for this sport (beach soccer), which I love so much and which has given me everything. I hope that my experience over these 13 years will help the sport move forward," said the proven goalscorer.

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