The World Cup is always marked by memorable moments. It is traditional for legends to bring their careers to a close at such major tournaments. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić could be playing in their final World Cup.
It is almost certain that legendary Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (40) and his contemporary, German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, will be making their final appearances on the big stage.
Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah, who turns 34 on 15 June, is nearing the end of his illustrious international career. The same applies to Senegalese legend Sadio Mané (34) and Belgian Kevin De Bruyne (34). For 40-year-old Bosnian Edin Džeko, who has just led Schalke back to the Bundesliga, a farewell to the World Cup is a foregone conclusion.
For Messi and Modrić, the end of their careers is drawing near, whilst with Ronaldo, you never know. It remains to be seen what to expect from this trio, and in what form they will head to the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
A subdued Cristiano Ronaldo is delighted with the Portugal squad’s form
There has already been much debate surrounding CR7 as to whether he is a greater player for Portugal than Eusébio, whether he is too old for a major tournament, or whether too much attention is being paid to him. A significant number of fans also believe that the hype surrounding Ronaldo is holding back the development of other players in the Portugal squad. Roberto Martínez is a staunch admirer of CR7 and has repeatedly received a corresponding return from his superstar, so he will field him in every match.
Ronaldo embodies a completely different mindset. It is not out of the question that the 2026 World Cup will not be his last and that he will play at the age of 45 in the next World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Nevertheless, he remains a rather controversial figure. With Al-Nassr, he has just celebrated winning the Saudi Arabian league title, a title they only just managed to clinch. He scored 28 goals in 30 matches. For the Portuguese national team, CR7 has scored five goals in five World Cup qualifying matches.
Almost exactly a year ago, he led Portugal to victory in the Nations League, scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against Germany and also finding the net in the final triumph over Spain. The only thing still missing for the 2016 European champion is a World Cup victory, and he is now making his sixth attempt.
Luka Modrić
Modrić remains a key figure in world football. In his later years, the Croatian has taken on the role of ‘quarterback’ at his club. Last season, the Croatian legend was an indispensable player at the heart of Milan’s defensive midfield. He started 32 matches until he suffered a cheekbone fracture on 26 April.
While playing for the Italian club, he saw a slight dip in his goal-scoring form, as just two goals and three assists meant that, in a dramatic battle at the end of the season, the club failed to qualify for the Champions League and the sporting management was completely overhauled.
Luka Modrić
In the Croatian national team, Modrić continues to play in a position slightly closer to the goal; he is the epitome of the classic ‘number ten’. Manager Zlatko Dalić is already known for relying on veteran players such as Ivan Perišić, Mateo Kovačić and Ante Budimir.
Modrić remains captain and the linchpin of the team. He is likely to play his 200th international match on 24 June in the second group match against Panama. The playmaker has won the Champions League six times, but only once the Ballon d’Or. His lack of success can be attributed to the fact that his career has coincided with those of Messi (eight times) and Ronaldo (five times).
However, he almost led a small nation to the World Cup title, as Croatia reached the final in 2018 but lost 2–4 to France.
Lionel Messi
It is unclear what Lionel Scaloni’s plans are for his captain. Lautaro Martínez is currently playing as centre-forward, whilst Julián Álvarez is still recovering from an ankle dislocation. Messi could come on as a ‘super sub’ or as a ‘deep-lying forward’ — his form prior to the injury was simply exceptional. In 14 matches in this year’s Major League Soccer, he has scored 12 goals for Inter Miami and provided seven assists. In the last five matches alone, he has been directly involved in twelve goals.
As is well known, Messi, who will turn 39 two days after the second group stage match against Austria, no longer feels the immense pressure associated with winning the title. At a rather strange World Cup in Qatar, he led Argentina to the title. Fans still vividly remember the photograph of the winner in a black Arab bisht cloak, which was draped over him by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Lionel Messi
This world football legend could well repeat his 2022 success. The entire Argentine squad is effectively at its peak, as it could easily field several full-strength line-ups that are among the strongest in the world.
