Top 5 Football Players Who Retired in 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, we turn the page on yet another illustrious chapter in the history of the beautiful game. And as the calendar turns, Father Time is doing its thing. A few icons of the game are slowly hanging up their boots and are choosing retirement. As we recap the year, let us find out the top footballer retired in 2025. Who are the top 5 retired soccer players 2025, and which other football players retiring in 2025 will have a great effect?

Football Retirement 2025 – A Year of Major Farewells

An era comes to an end whenever a legendary player hangs up their boots. However, 2025 has been more painful than other years as it saw players who defined rivalries and generations growing up call it a time on football. The players who retired in 2025 leave a long-lasting legacy on the game and will be eager to contribute to the game even after their retirement.

Top 5 Players Who Retired From Football in 2025

From midfield lynchpins to strikers and defenders who changed the game, find out who are the top 5 players who retired from football in 2025.

1. Sergio Busquets

Defensive midfield was considered a boring position in football until Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets came along. The lanky Spaniard revolutionised the game and redefined the role. He was a supremely gifted ball winner like any other defensive midfielder and had incredible game awareness to shut out attacks and recover the ball. But what made Busquets stand out from everyone else was his technique on the ball. He was an elegant passer, and his ability to pick up spaces and find free players with his passing became a major weapon for the legendary Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola. He became the best interpretation of the deep-lying playmaker role.

Combined with Andres Iniesta and Xavi, he formed one of the greatest midfields of all time. Busquets won the World Cup with Spain and won every trophy at club level with FC Barcelona. He moved to Inter Miami for a final swansong and helped them win the MLS Cup. Having accomplished everything, he decided it was time to give up on the sport as he became the best footballer retired in 2025, just at 37 years of age.

2. Marcelo

Just like Busquets, who redefined the defensive midfield role, Marcelo was an icon for left-backs. The swashbuckling Brazilian is famous for his up and down shifts and was a commander of the left wing. He could defend any winger without dropping in quality. But the best trait of Marcelo was to bomb forward and deliver sensational crosses. He can overlap, underlap, and even enter the box to score crucial goals. Marcelo joined Real Madrid from Fluminense and struck up wonderful partnerships with Cristiano Ronaldo and other forwards in Spain.

After winning six La Liga titles and five Champions League titles, he earned the tag of one of the best left-backs of all time. Marcelo then returned home to Fluminense and helped his side win the Carioca Serie A title in 2023. He hung up his boots at the age of 37.

3. Jordi Alba

Another legendary left-back and long-term teammate of Busquets, Jordi Alba, too, added his name to the football players retiring in 2025 list. Alba started his career at Gimnastic before moving to Valencia. His prime years, though, were at Barcelona. After moving to Catalonia in 2012, he immediately became their starting left-back. He played a starring role in the UEFA Champions League triumph in 2015.

Alba had the attacking flair of a winger trapped in a full-back. His attacking style blew away opposite full-backs, and he could more than defend his entire flank on his own. At the end of a long career at Camp Nou, he joined Lionel Messi and co at Inter Miami and helped them win the League Cup and the MLS Cup in 2025.

4. Mats Hummels

Regarded as one of the finest centre-backs of his generation, Mats Hummels is a World Cup winner with Germany. Hummels started his career in Bavaria with Bayern Munich. After making his breakthrough with them, he made a move to Borussia Dortmund. Under Jurgen Klopp's stewardship, Dortmund was winning back-to-back league titles. At the peak of his career, he won the World Cup with Germany in 2014.

Hummels moved to Bayern Munich to lift some more titles and then returned to Dortmund. After retiring from the national team, he left Germany for the first time in his career to join Roma. During his lone season in Italy, he wooed everyone with his leadership ability and technique. However, niggling injuries robbed him of an even longer career as he retired at the age of 37.

5. Edinson Cavani

Joining the list of football players who retired in 2025, late in the year, is Edinson Cavani. The 28-year-old was an electric striker in his day. His iconic long hair and a head band was a nightmare for defenders. Cavani started his career in Danubio before moving to Italy to join Palermo. It was his spell with Napoli that gave him worldwide fame. He helped Napoli to a Coppa Italia title before leaving for PSG.

At PSG, he was the undisputed star man and won multiple league titles with them. However, he then left for Manchester United, and what followed was a sharp decline. Cavani joined Valencia before finishing his career at Boca Juniors at 38.

What’s Next for These Retired Football Players?

As these players hung up their boots, do not expect them to step away from the football pitch forever. They love the game and will contribute to it in endless ways. Alba and Busquets are disciples of one of the most decorated managers Guardiola, and will immediately turn to coaching. Cavani can serve as a guiding light for young and emerging strikers from South America, leading them to success in Europe.

As we compiled the retired soccer players 2025 list, we might have had a surprising young star on the list. Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo took a personal leave from his club duties this season. To recover physically and mentally, he started visiting religious sites.

However, it is said that he is even considering retiring from the sport if he finds his strength in other places away from football. Though his trip has ended, he might try to fix everything that was broken earlier and may start against Espanyol.