Isla hangs up his boots having spent his final season back in his native Chile with Colo-Colo, the club he had already left once before returning in January. His retirement closes out a career that began at Universidad Católica before a move to Italy, where he first made his name.
Udinese brought Isla to Europe as a young player and developed him into a first-team regular before selling him to Juventus in 2012. He spent a couple of seasons in Turin, winning domestic honours, before loan spells at QPR and Marseille preceded a permanent move to Cagliari in 2016, where he stayed for a single season.
His career then took him further afield, with spells at Fenerbahçe in Turkey, Flamengo in Brazil and Independiente in Argentina, before a return home to Universidad Católica and finally Colo-Colo.
Udinese paid tribute to their former player on social media following the announcement.
"An extraordinary career, which also passed through Udine. Mauricio Isla says goodbye to football after 19 years as a professional. Five seasons and so many emotions experienced together in bianconero colours. Good luck for the future, Huaso!" the club wrote, using the nickname commonly given to Chileans of rural or working-class background.
Isla represented Chile at multiple World Cups and Copa América tournaments during a long and decorated international career, forming part of the Chile squad that won back-to-back Copa América titles in 2015 and 2016, and becoming one of the most recognisable full-backs of his generation across three continents.
His versatility, capable of playing at either right-back or as a wing-back, made him a mainstay of the Chile national team setup for well over a decade, and he remains one of the most capped players in his country's history.
His journey through six countries over nearly two decades reflects a career defined as much by adaptability as by longevity. From his breakthrough in Serie A to spells in the Premier League, Ligue 1, Süper Lig, Brasileirão and Argentina's top flight, Isla built a reputation as a reliable, hard-working presence capable of settling quickly in unfamiliar leagues and dressing rooms.
That well-travelled career now closes with his retirement confirmed at 38 years of age, following one final season back where it all began, in Chilean domestic football with Colo-Colo.