As we are nearing ever closer to the 2026 World Cup, we will unfortunately have to say goodbye to some of our favorite footballing stars, who will all want to go out on a high before they inevitably retire, and what better way than doing so on the grandest of stages, in the World Cup in North America? We take a closer look at some of the players likely to grace the pitch for the last time ever.
Guillermo Ochoa: (40 years old)
The Mexican goalkeeper could become the first footballer in history to play in a grand total of 6 World Cups, alongside the greatest players of all time in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Guillermo Ochoa’s career trajectory has been fascinating to say the least – a player who has never quite managed to play for the best football clubs in the world (had a brief spell at Malaga in Spain but spent majority of his career playing in Mexico) and yet always showed up in the World Cup, making a name for himself and performing like his life was on the line every single time. Guillermo Ochoa hasn’t played club football in months, and could perhaps steal the spotlight from younger Mexican goalkeepers wanting to prove a point, but football fans would be more than glad to see a 40-year-old Ochoa play for the national team, someone always looking to steal the show with his flamboyant saves and his charismatic demeanour.
Luka Modric: (40 years old)
Luka Modric will most likely go down as being the best midfielder the sport has ever seen, longevity aside. The Croatian has won everything there is to win… other than one: the World Cup; and he was just inches away in 2018, he could sense it, he could feel it, but it was out of reach. When Luka Modric won the Ballon D’Or in 2018, he became the first ever Croatian to win the prestigious award, and the first midfielder to win it since Kaka in 2007. Despite comparisons being drawn with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and players such as Lothar Matthaus, Luka Modric really cemented himself on the grandest of stages over the past decade and beyond, winning possibly the biggest trophies at club level, and played alongside some of the most talented athletes the sport has ever seen. We mentioned Croatia being another dark horse next year, and football fans will all have their eyes turned towards Luka Modric and his every movement.
Ivan Perisic: (36 years old)
Same case scenario as Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic has participated in four different World Cups, and despite rumours that he had retired from the game altogether this year, Ivan Perisic answered in the best way he possibly could, by signing to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, in hopes of making the Croatian squad next year in North America. The 36-year-old has had an illustrious career, playing for some big names, such as Inter Milan, Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolfsburg. Whilst he could technically play again in the 2030 World Cup at the age of 40 years old, the Croatian national team will no doubt improve its squad, with younger and hungrier talent coming through. Ivan Perisic has always been a reliable player, and versatile too, able to play in any given position on the pitch.
Casemiro: (33 years old – could still play in 2030)
Casemiro, much like Luka Modric, has won everything there is to win in his career, other than a World Cup, and whilst he’s still only 33, there are signs that could point towards Casemiro playing in his last ever World Cup in 2026. The Brazil squad is getting stronger and stronger, and the Manchester United player might not physically be ready to be club football for another four years, only to partake in his last World Cup appearance in 2030 – it is looking very unlikely. Casemiro isn’t the only Brazilian potentially playing his last tournament; another two famous names are also shortlisted:
Marquinhos: (31 years old – similar situation)
Much like Casemiro, Marquinhos still has a lot to prove, especially for his national team. This Brazilian generation might be on its last leg, and will want to go out on a high note, they who have been disappointing for the most of 2/3 World Cups now. Marquinhos could be playing in his last World Cup, as he has been a professional for well over 13 years now, of which he has spent 12 at PSG, and that will have taken a toll on him. With young Brazilian defenders coming through with the likes of Lucas Beraldo from PSG and Nottingham Forest’s own Murillo, Brazil has a backline it can rely on going into the future, with both Eder Militao and Gabriel Magalhes at the prime of their career, it might be time for Marquinhos to take a step back after next year, or at least reflect on what his career will look like in July 2026.
Neymar Jr: (33 years old)
There isn’t one person on this planet who could deny that Neymar was the most talented player of his generation, and it unfortunately might be time for the Brazilian to say farewell to both his national team and the sport. He has suffered from so many injuries in his career, and his career trajectory has gone downhill over the past 5/6 years. He had never been injured for more than a consecutive month when he made the move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013, and has since been injured too many times. He spent 120 days injured during his second season at PSG, and he has spent the majority of the past 3 years injured, which just highlighted those issues he had when playing at PSG, being sidelined for weeks, sometimes months, at every given season of his career. Neymar is the biggest example of a “what if” in football history: what if he hadn’t been injured so many times? He’s arguably one of the most talented footballers of all time and is highly decorated. For the Brazil national squad and for the fans, it is in the best interest that Neymar is fit and ready to go in 2026 in the United States of America, for one last dance.
Kevin De Bruyne
By now, even Kevin De Bruyne must be weary of the endless talk about Belgium’s so-called “golden generation” — a team brimming with talent that never quite fulfilled its promise. With names like Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, and Radja Nainggolan, Belgium boasted some of Europe’s and the world’s finest players. Yet, on the grandest stages, the breakthrough never came.
Off-field disputes, instability at the top, and internal tensions often overshadowed their potential. And while De Bruyne has long been the heartbeat of this side, he has never quite managed to carry the nation on his shoulders. Next year in North America, he will likely try one last time.
Whether he succeeds may depend less on him and more on how Belgium’s next wave — Jeremy Doku, Amadou Onana, Lois Openda, and Malick Fofana — can blend with what remains of the old guard. If this truly is Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell, then it marks the end of an era, and he departs with nothing but respect and admiration.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi:
Both players will be playing in their last ever World Cup, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo is on the hunt for 1000 career goals and a World Cup to forever cement his legacy, Lionel Messi announced a few months ago that he had played his last ever match in Argentina, as he and his side await June 2026, they who will be amongst the favorites to win it. The last time a country has ever won a World Cup back-to-back was Brazil in 1958 and 1962, which just goes to show how difficult that task is. Will it be Cristiano Ronaldo, will it be Lionel Messi? One final dance, potentially at MetLife Stadium for the biggest football match in history? It just has to be. Anything less sure won’t live up to those expectations.
More stars likely to feature in their last World Cup: Robert Lewandowski, Yann Sommer, Dusan Tadic, Angel Di Maria, Manuel Neuer, Edin Dzeko,