The FIFA World Cup is widely regarded as the most anticipated sporting event on the planet, occurring every four years and attracting billions of viewers with increasing popularity for each edition.
For many reasons, this edition will be very different from previous contests – for the first time, the tournament will be held in the winter rather than the summer. It will also be a period of transition for the players, as the tournament will almost certainly be the final dance for many modern-day football icons who have influenced this generation.
The unfortunate reality is that many football legends will compete in their final major international tournament in 2022, at the Qatar World Cup. As they approach their mid-to-late thirties, stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are facing this unfortunate reality.
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Nobody can outrun Mother Nature, and Messi is more aware of it than anyone else.
Messi, the star of the French club Paris Saint-Germain, has confirmed that the Qatar World Cup 2022 will be the final game in his football career. The Argentine Flea conducted an interview with the Star+ network and said that the next World Cup would be the final game in his international career with the Argentina national team. When asked if the upcoming World Cup finals would be his last, Messi replied, "Of course, it will be my last."
Messi, who was banned from the tournament in 2014 in favor of the German national team despite being the best player in the World Cup at the time, captured many records and achievements for his country, and wants to win the world's most important title in his final act.
Messi joins the list of players who will say goodbye to fans after the Qatar World Cup 2022, and may hope for a happy ending in this year's tournament. Age and fitness are the major reasons for some of them to retire and not participate with their country's team in the coming season.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
The same is likely to be said of Ronaldo, who is two years older than Messi and is now a 37-year-old legend. With 117 goals in 189 matches for the Portugal national team, the Manchester United star is the top international scorer in football.
He will be 41 by the time of the 2026 World Cup, and like rival Messi, he wants to win the Cup for the first time in his career, and this World Cup could be his last.
Neymar (Brazil)
On the other hand, Neymar da Silva of Paris Saint-Germain has been one of the best players in the world in recent years, but he has admitted that he does not expect to play in the World Cup again after 2022 because the game's pressures have affected his body and mind.
Although being under 30 years old, the Selecao star has yet to win the World Cup, despite Brazil’s being the overwhelming favorite.
Neymar stated in an interview with the Spanish television network DAZN: "I believe this is my last World Cup; I'm not sure if I have the mental strength to deal with football anymore, so I'll do everything I can to prepare well, to win with my national team, to fulfill my biggest dream since I was a child, and I hope that I can do that."
Luka Modric (Croatia)
Among the retirees is Luka Modric, without a doubt the best midfielder of his generation. Modric made his World Cup debut in 2006 in Germany. Croatia, his team, was unable to advance past the group stages. It happened again in 2014, and in 2010, they didn't even qualify for the World Cup.
In 2018, Modric led Croatia to their first World Cup final, which they lost to France. Modric was named the tournament's best player and received the Ballon d'Or award.
Croatia, led by Luka Modric, is in Group F with Belgium, Morocco, and Canada, but is capable of breaking through.
Manuel Neuer (Germany)
Manuel Neuer, the goalkeeper for the German national team and Bayern Munich, is approaching his 37th birthday, and it is difficult to imagine his competing in a new World Cup after the Qatar World Cup 2022. He previously won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was a key factor in Germany's victory. He was also named the tournament's best goalie, earning the Golden Glove.
Neuer is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in history. In three World Cups, he has seven clean sheets in 16 appearances. He has received numerous trophies and individual honors throughout his illustrious career. He has twice won the UEFA Champions League and has won the Bundesliga for the past ten years in a row.
After a disappointing performance in the last World Cup, Neuer would like to end his career on a high note. His Bundesliga form suggests that, at the age of 36, he is still one of the world's best goalkeepers. In an interview, he stated that his "sole goal" is to win the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
The German national team is in Group E with Spain, Costa Rica, and Japan, which will be difficult for the "Mannschaft," so veteran Neuer is attempting to bypass the group in order to inch towards a new continental title, drawing on his experience and the expertise of his teammates.
Karim Benzema (France)
Benzema, who was the most visible absentee from his country's World Cup victory in 2018 due to his exclusion by Coach Didier Deschamps, will face a significant challenge to lead the "Rooster" team to victory in the Qatar World Cup 2022, after leading them to the European Nations League title last year.
Simultaneously, he will seek to confirm the reality of his potential and technical capabilities as the best player in the world, as well as to make 2022 an exceptional year in the career of the "exceptional" player.
It is worth noting that Benzema is widely regarded as the most successful player in France's so-called "87th generation" as a result of the individual and collective titles and awards he has received since joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
Last season, Benzema was named the top scorer in the Spanish League ("La Liga") and the top scorer in the Champions League. He won the Spanish League and the Champions League titles, as well as the Ballon d'Or, before competing in the World Cup.
Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
Luis Suarez is regarded as one of the most talented attacking players of his generation. He's had some memorable World Cup moments, but he’s mostly been in the spotlight for misbehavior.
Luis Suarez's level has recently declined since leaving Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Spain, but he aspires to win the most glorious continental title with Uruguay, who compete in Group H with Portugal, Ghana, and South Korea, and Suarez at 35 years old wants to play in the next World Cup despite his advanced age.
He made his World Cup debut in 2010. Uruguay advanced to the semi-finals due to his deliberate handball against Ghana, and he bit Italian player Chiellini viciously during a group match in 2014.
However, these incidents did not detract from his outstanding performances in World Cup games, where he scored seven goals in three tournaments.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
Robert Lewandowski, one of the best strikers of the last decade, is 34 years old and in his final World Cup with Poland, which is in Group C alongside Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico.
Before this World Cup, Lewandowski had played in only one other Cup. In Poland's disappointing 2018 campaign, which ended in a group stage exit in Russia, the Barcelona striker did not score a single goal.
Lewandowski, 34, will be hoping to go out on a high note and deliver the goods in what will most likely be his final opportunity to shine at this level.
Thiago Silva (Brazil)
Thiago Silva is a Chelsea defender who is the most important member of Brazil's defense.
The veteran central defender has negative associations with the tournament, the most glaring of which is seven years of defeats to the German national team. In what will almost certainly be his final World Cup appearance, Silva hopes to lead his country to victory.
The Blues' legendary defender is 37 years old, and he wants to cap off his international career with the most illustrious title possible.
Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
Angel Di Maria is a Juventus winger and an important member of Argentina's national team.
The player, who won the last Copa America with a spectacular goal against Brazil, stated that the next World Cup will be his last in his country's jersey.
Angel, 34, is seeking to retire from international football after the World Cup in Qatar, which is understandable given his age.
