The 2022 World Cup is going to be a very huge tournament for a lot of players.
For some, it’ll be their first-ever appearance at the World Cup, for some others, it’ll
be their last ever.
We have already looked at some players who will be playing in the World Cup for the first
time this year.
So, this time around, we want to look at some players for whom Qatar would be their last
outing.
10 football legends who will be playing their last World Cup in 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo
CR7 will be 38 in 3 months, and as much as we hate to admit it, he no longer looks as
good as he used to about a decade ago.
So, you get the feeling that, after Qatar, he might just hang up his international boots.
By the time the next tournament comes around, Ronaldo will be 41.
And while we don’t doubt that he might still be playing professionally by then, it’s
a little unlikely that he’ll be fit and willing to go for another World Cup tournament.
So, take in every bit of CR7 in Qatar.
You may never see him play a World Cup game after this year’s edition is over.
Neymar Jr.
Now, while CR7’s World Cup future is based on speculation, Neymar’s is pretty certain.
The 30-year-old Brazilian has confirmed that the 2022 World Cup will be his last, as he
doesn’t think he has the mental capacity to handle another tournament.
So, even though he’ll be a fair age of 34 when the next tournament comes to his neighboring
North America, he won’t be participating.
Angel Di Maria
Di Maria is another person who has confirmed that he will not be going to another World
Cup after Qatar.
As a matter of fact, he has said that he will be retiring from international football once
the World Cup is over in December.
So, Qatar will be the last time we see Di Maria in an Argentina shirt.
Will he be able to score another final winner just like he did last year in the Copa America
to bow out in style?
We’ll just have to wait to find out.
Thomas Muller
Muller has had an amazing career and he is actually a pretty underrated player.
But now in his mid-30s, he already looks like he’s in the twilight of his career.
He is no longer a regular in the Bayern first team and he also doesn’t start many games
for Germany either.
He’s very likely to be included in Flick’s squad, though, because of his experience and
the edge he gives Germany, but this is most probably going to be the last World Cup for
the 2010 Golden Boot winner.
Sergio Ramos
If Ramos is called up for the 2022 World Cup, you expect that it’d be the last for the
36-year-old.
But of all the legends on this list, we have to say that he’s the one with the least
likelihood of flying out to Qatar.
Apart from his recent injury problems, Enrique seems to have moved on from the former Real
Madrid captain, now relying on the younger Eric Garcia and Pau Torres, as well as the
experienced Aymeric Laporte in the center back position.
But Ramos has been included in Enrique’s 55-man provisional squad for the World Cup,
and if he makes the final cut, you can be certain it’d be his last-ever appearance
at the World Cup.
However, here’s a little surprise, if Sergio Ramos is going to make it to the 23-man list
for Spain, he’ll have his age-old rival and compatriot, Gerard Pique, to contend with.
Yes, the former Barcelona man just retired from football and had retired from international
football since 2018, but he was included in the provisional list, so there’s an outside
chance he could be called up for one last dance with Spain.
Luka Modric
Modric really overachieved when he led his Croatian teammates to the World Cup final
last time out.
And still going on to win an extra Champions League as a major player for Real Madrid after
then is nothing short of incredible.
But no matter how incredible he has proven to be as a player, the guy is still human.
The Ballon d’Or winner is 37 now, and for sure, this will be his last World Cup outing.
He’ll probably even just retire from international football after this.
Who knows?
Luis Suarez
Suarez is already at the twilight of what has been an incredible career.
He is no doubt one of the greatest strikers of his generation and has been a very entertaining
character at the World Cup.
He had that bite in 2014 and that handball in the quarter-final in 2010.
So, when he bows out after this year, we will all miss him for sure.
But hopefully, he can bow out with one last entertaining controversy in Qatar.
And with a replay of the 2010 quarter-final between Uruguay and Ghana sure to happen at
the World Cup this year, all eyes will be on Luis Suarez to pull off some farewell drama.
By the way, Suarez’s strike partner, Edinson Cavani, will also be saying farewell to the
World Cup this year.
That’s if he’s fit enough to make it.
He’s currently nursing an ankle injury, but we expect that he’ll be just fine to
make it to Qatar even though he may not be a starter.
Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne has not said he’ll be retiring for sure.
In fact, he said he doesn’t know what will happen 4 years from now.
But he is one person that has always been vocal about how tight schedules have become
for footballers because of more international games now being played.
So, at 31, you expect he may be flirting with the idea of hanging his international boots
after this tournament and focusing on winning all he can win with that Manchester City super
team.
He has also said that his entire family will be traveling to watch him at the World Cup
for the first time this year, because, according to him, this World Cup will be special and
he won’t like his kids to miss it.
Perhaps there’s a message in there; he will no longer play on a stage this big, so he
wants his entire family to come and watch his last dance.
Eden Hazard
With the way Hazard’s career has gone recently, he just might be retiring from football soon.
He has struggled for playing time since he joined Real Madrid in 2019, and with the former
Chelsea man turning 32 in only a couple of months, you expect that the end is looming.
Even though he has hardly played for his club this season, Hazard will surely be called
up to lead Belgium to the World Cup in a matter of days.
But from the look of things, that will be the last time he will do that.
Lionel Messi
Here’s another guy who will most likely be leading his national team for the last
time in Qatar.
Lionel Messi’s future is the hottest transfer topic in the world of football right now.
With his contract with PSG expiring at the end of the season, it is still unclear where
Messi will be playing his trade next season.
France, Spain, England, America?
Who knows?
Well, one thing we know for sure is that 2022 will be his last World Cup, as he revealed
in a recent interview.
The former Barcelona captain has had his heart broken on the international stage several
times, but he finally had some joy wearing the blue and white of Argentina last year
when he led them to Copa America’s success.
So, if he retires now, he retires a happy man.
But he has one more World Cup tournament in him and he is determined to make it special.
He’s taking an early leave from PSG to get himself ready for Qatar and has been preserving
himself all season.
This will be the first time in Messi’s career that Argentina will be entering a World Cup
as real favorites, so the 35-year-old is trying to make the best of Argentina’s brilliant
form and make his last dance the best dance ever.
Also, there are a lot more legends who might be going for their last World Cup this year.
Giroud, Pepe, Thiago Silva, Neuer, Lewandowski, Benzema…
Bye!