Players Who Could Retire from International Football After the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be remembered not just for the football played but for the legends departing the international stage. A remarkable generation of players — many of whom have defined the sport for two decades — will almost certainly make their final World Cup appearances in North America this summer. Here is our complete guide to the players most likely to retire from international football after July 19.

Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 38

Messi has not confirmed this will be his final World Cup — but at 38, the mathematics are unambiguous. The next World Cup is in 2030, when he would be 43. There is no realistic scenario in which Messi continues to the next edition. The 2026 tournament is his farewell — and the football world knows it. Every Messi touch, every Messi goal, every Messi assist in North America will carry the weight of a final performance. For the generation that grew up watching him, his last World Cup match will be one of sport's most emotional moments.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) — 41

Ronaldo is already 41 during the 2026 tournament — making him one of the oldest players ever to compete at a World Cup. His determination to be fit and selected for Portugal's squad is a testament to his extraordinary physical dedication. This is unquestionably his final World Cup, and Ronaldo will be acutely aware that the stage at MetLife Stadium on July 19 is the last time the world's biggest sporting occasion will include him.

Luka Modrić (Croatia) — 40

Modrić turns 41 during the 2026 World Cup — making this almost certainly his final tournament. The Real Madrid legend has been at the centre of Croatia's extraordinary run of World Cup success, winning the Golden Ball in 2018 and leading Croatia to third place in 2022. His final World Cup chapter — in a group alongside England, Ghana, and Panama — will be one of the tournament's most emotionally resonant storylines.

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) — 35

De Bruyne has not announced his international retirement intentions, but at 35 and with Belgium's golden generation definitively in its final act, the 2026 World Cup is almost certainly his last. For a player widely considered the finest midfielder of his generation — and yet one who has never won a major international trophy — the 2026 tournament represents one final opportunity to add a World Cup winner's medal to a club career of historic achievement.

Harry Kane, Griezmann, Müller & More

Beyond the headline names, 2026 is likely the final World Cup for: Harry Kane (England, 32 — could continue to 2030 but form and fitness will determine that), Antoine Griezmann (France, 35 — his international future beyond 2026 is uncertain), Thomas Müller (Germany, 36 — already retired from international football but his generation's World Cup story ends here), Son Heung-min (South Korea, 34 — likely his farewell after over a decade of extraordinary service), and Manuel Neuer (Germany, 40 — the greatest goalkeeper of his generation bowing out as a tournament elder statesman).