Football player Retirement

List Of Footballers Retiring Following FIFA World Cup 2026 - Updated

Sportsdunia Desk

Published - Jun 30, 2026, 11:08 AM

3 min

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FIFA World Cup

Summary

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is rumored to be the last tournament for some of the game's greatest players as they might call time on their international football careers.
Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Luka Modric are among some icons who could be playing their final games at world football's biggest showcase.
Bayern Munich star Manuel Neuer has declared he is retiring following Paraguay's close penalty shootout win over Germany.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered some amazing games and spectacular goals to enthrall fans during the group stage phase. However, the excitement and emotions will be ramped up to another level as the action from the Round of 32 stage introduces more jeopardy into the fold.

While 16 more teams are set to face elimination after this round, the results will also spell the end of the road for some of football's biggest names. Football player retirement always hits hard for the individual and his adoring fans especially when the player has served for many years and achieved special things donning the national team jersey.

One such sombre moment came and went when Germany's defeat on penalties after extra time against Paraguay became the catalyst for Manuel Neuer retirement on Tuesday. The Bayern Munich shot stopper was summoned out of retirement by Die Mannschaft head coach Julian Naglesmann for one final hurrah.

Even though the campaign ended in abject failure, Neuer's legacy with the team will remain unchanged. He was part of the dominant 2014 Germany side that swept aside hosts Brazil in the semifinals by a 7-1 scoreline before Mario Gotze heroics in the final helped them clinch their fourth FIFA World Cup title.

Why Football Players Are Taking Retirement At FIFA World Cup 2026?

Having qualified for one of the sport's biggest events of the summer, player retirement during World Cup 2026 is every footballer's dream. The experience of giving their all in front of their fans and enjoying the adulation of millions watching around the world is viewed by many as a fitting end.

Football is set to loose some of the biggest names to ever play the game in 2026 like Neymar Jr, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Football player retirement happens because of various reasons including fatigue, depreciation of physical limits and at times injuries incurred over the years adding up and breaking down the body.

Sportsdunia looks at players who might be calling time after FIFA World Cup 2026.

List Of Footballers Retiring Following FIFA World Cup 2026

Here is a list of footballers who are expected to retire following the 2026 FIFA World Cup

S.No.	Name	Country
1.	Lionel Messi	Argentina
2.	Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal
3.	Neymar Jr	Brazil
4.	Luka Modric	Croatia
5.	Manuel Neuer	Germany
6.	Mohamed Salah	Egypt
7.	Virgil van Dijk	Netherlands
8.	Son Heung Minh	South Korea
9.	Guillermo Ochoa	Mexico
10.	Sadio Mane	Senegal
11.	Romelu Lukaku	Belgium
12.	Kevin De Bruyne	Belgium
13.	Marquinhos	Brazil
14.	Thibaut Courtois	Belgium
15.	Patrick Schick	Czechia