Teemu Pukki to retire after HJK Helsinki season, ending career that took Norwich to Premier League

Teemu Pukki announced on Tuesday, 20 October, that he will retire from professional football after HJK Helsinki’s season. The 36-year-old former Norwich City and Finland striker said he has four games left, bringing toward a close a career in which he helped Norwich reach the Premier League twice and became Finland’s leading men’s goalscorer.

Pukki said in an Instagram post quoted by the Eastern Daily Press that he wanted to win all four remaining games. The BBC reported that his retirement is planned for after the Veikkausliiga season concludes on 8 November. He has played for HJK since 2025; an exact date for his final match has not been established.

Pukki’s record at Norwich City

He ranks fourth on Norwich’s all-time goalscoring list, the BBC reported. Its Norfolk football coverage recalled his partnership with Emi Buendía, who supplied chances for the striker, and said then-head coach Daniel Farke had described their connection as ‘magical’. Pukki left Norwich in 2023, later playing for Minnesota United before returning to Finland.

Finland scoring record and final HJK games

Pukki retired from international duty last year. He scored 43 goals in 133 appearances for Finland, making him the men’s national team’s all-time leading scorer and its second-most capped player, according to the BBC. His earlier club career included spells at Schalke, Celtic and Brøndby; he scored nine goals in 38 Celtic appearances between 2013 and 2015.

Reflecting on his career in the Instagram message quoted by the BBC, Pukki wrote: ‘I’ve gained a lot more from football than I ever dreamed of when I was a little boy.’ He said the game had allowed him to see the world and gain experiences he did not think he could have found elsewhere. He also thanked his clubs and their supporters while looking ahead to his remaining matches with HJK.