The 36-year-old had a globe-trotting career that spanned 14 years, six countries and three FIFA World Cups. The striker said he has had a blast.

"I've experienced many different football cultures in different countries, and those were really lucky times of my life," Ahn said, choking back tears at a press conference. "I reached the World Cup three times, and I enjoyed everything a football player could have enjoyed."

Ahn is best known for his dramatic, golden goal to seal South Korea's 2-1 win over Italy at the 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan. The improbable upset put South Korea in the quarter-finals and the country ended up in the semifinals for its best showing at the quadrennial competition.

On Tuesday, Ahn said of all the fond memories from his playing career, the 2002 World Cup stands out the most, saying the opportunity to represent his country was "an honor."

Ahn made his professional debut with the domestic K-League in

1998 and won the league MVP the following year. He has also played in Italy, Japan, France, Germany and, most recently, China.

He was reportedly in talks with a K-League club, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, and Ahn said it wasn't an easy decision to retire.

"I have been working hard on my own and I felt I could still play," he said. "But on the other hand, I felt pressure that I had to live up to people's expectations. I wanted to come back to the K-League and it's been a very difficult month."

He said his family was the deciding factor.

"Over my 14-year career, my family has made a lot of sacrifices," said Ahn, a father of two. "I want to spend more time with them and just be a normal dad."

In the long run, Ahn said he wants to contribute to the development of Korean football.

"I've been thinking a lot of working with young players," he said. "With football, fundamentals are important. I want to help players from early on and give a lot of help for development."

Ahn represented South Korea in 71 international matches and had

17 goals. The Korea Football Association (KFA), the local football governing body, offered to put Ahn on the pitch for one of the country's two international games next month as a send-off, but the player declined.

South Korea is scheduled to face Uzbekistan in a friendly on Feb. 25. Four days later, it has a crucial World Cup qualification match against Kuwait in Seoul.

The national team head coach Choi Kang-hee even said Ahn could play for five to 10 minutes early against Uzbekistan, which will be a tune-up for the team before Kuwait. However, Ahn said he didn't want his personal situation to interfere with the national team's preparation.

"This is a critical moment for Korean football, and I just felt it would be detrimental to the development of our football if I played before an important game," Ahn said. "I don't think it's appropriate to put my personal matters ahead of the World Cup."

Ahn's goal against Italy in 2002 is considered one of the most important goals in local football annals. He scored another crucial goal at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the go-ahead score in the

2-1 win over Togo in the group stage. It was South Korea's first road victory at the World Cup.

He earned the moniker "Lord of the Ring" for kissing his left ring finger after scoring goals. (Yonhap News)