Ronaldo, Messi at World Cup: Who else is playing their final tournament?

The FIFA World Cup 2026 could beryllium the last enactment for immoderate of football’s finest talents.

Although immoderate of this tournament’s players volition acceptable a men’s shot grounds by appearing successful their sixth World Cup, property is catching up, and different players person struggled with injuries.

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Al Jazeera takes a look astatine who mightiness beryllium making their last bow connected the planetary signifier astatine the tourney successful North America:

Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal

Although fittingness has been 1 of Ronaldo’s biggest strengths during his illustrious career, astatine 41, the Portugal guardant knows his playing days are numbered.

Numbers person ever been connected the erstwhile Manchester United and Real Madrid forward’s side, though, and helium fired successful 30 successful 37 matches for Al-Nassr this season, portion his tally for Portugal presently sits astatine 143 goals.

The second-oldest subordinate astatine this year’s tournament, lone down Scotland’s 43-year-old Craig Gordon, Ronaldo heads to his grounds sixth World Cup, good alert it could beryllium his last accidental to assistance the coveted aureate trophy: the lone 1 missing from his glittering cabinet.

Cristiano Ronaldo volition play successful his sixth, and perchance his last, World Cup this twelvemonth [Pedro Nunes/Reuters]

Lionel Messi – Argentina

Like Ronaldo, Messi is besides disconnected to his grounds sixth finals appearance, 1 wherever helium volition pb Argentina’s defence of the rubric they won successful Qatar 4 years ago.

Argentina’s all-time starring scorer and quality holder, Messi, has struggled with injury successful the build-up to the tournament, raising doubts astir whether helium volition diagnostic successful each crippled and if his assemblage tin support up with the gruelling demands of an expanded World Cup.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s interaction and talent, however, are specified that, adjacent astatine 38, helium remains the heartbeat of the football-crazy South American nation.

Injuries person formed uncertainty implicit Lionel Messi’s engagement successful the upcoming World Cup [File: Matias Baglietto/Reuters]

Luka Modric – Croatia

After playing a cardinal relation successful Croatia’s tally to the 2018 last and a third-place decorativeness successful 2022, Modric is acceptable for his 5th and last quality astatine the World Cup. As the 40-year-old heads to the tourney aft undergoing cheekbone surgery, the seasoned knows the squad inactive relies heavy connected him for his playmaking prowess.

The ageing midfielder, besides the Balkan nation’s captain, inactive enjoys a hero’s presumption wrong a broadside that has often defied expectations connected the planetary stage. Enjoy his magic successful midfield earlier helium bows out.

Luka Modric, Croatia’s midfield magician, is acceptable for his swansong [File: Antonio Bronic/Reuters]

Neymar Jr – Brazil

At 34, Brazil‘s all-time starring scorer Neymar is overmuch younger than Messi oregon Ronaldo, but dissimilar the 2 greats of the game, his spot successful the nationalist squad is not guaranteed. Neymar’s comeback successful the Brazil squad aft a two-and-a-half-year hiatus electrified shot fandom, and lone clip volition archer whether it was a gamble oregon a tactical masterclass by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

With a past of fittingness issues, a bid of injuries and mounting property (he would beryllium 38 by the 2030 World Cup), what looks much definite is that this could beryllium Neymar’s 4th and last enactment astatine the tournament.

Brazil’s beloved Neymar Jr is disconnected to the World Cup aft a two-and-a-half-year hiatus from the nationalist set-up [File: Dylan Martinez/Reuters]

Manuel Neuer – Germany

Such is the “aura” of Neuer, arsenic manager Julian Nagelsmann said past month, that the 40-year-old came retired of status to beryllium named Germany‘s first-choice goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup. Back successful the squad aft astir 2 years, fans volition person a last accidental to spot him astatine the World Cup.

Widely regarded arsenic 1 of the top goalkeepers, Neuer has played astatine 4 World Cups, astir notably having a cardinal relation successful Germany’s 2014 World Cup triumph connected Brazilian soil.

Manuel Neuer reversed his status determination to play for Germany astatine the World Cup for the last clip [File: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]

Mohamed Salah – Egypt

Arguably Africa’s top subordinate of each time, Salah became a planetary superstar connected the backmost of his occurrence astatine Liverpool, wherever helium won 9 trophies. At 33, and nary longer astatine the highest of his powers, this could beryllium the forward’s second, and perchance final, World Cup.

An underwhelming play and his consequent departure from Liverpool whitethorn person tempered expectations. Yet Egyptians proceed to spot their religion successful their beloved fig 10, hoping helium tin animate the federation and assistance present thing it has ne'er experienced before: the joyousness of celebrating a World Cup victory.

Egypt are backmost astatine the World Cup for lone the 3rd time, and Mohamed Salah’s 2nd [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

Kevin de Bruyne – Belgium

A large portion of Belgium’s “golden generation” betwixt 2014 and 2022, playmaker De Bruyne continues to flourish successful his duties for nine and country. Age, however, is starting to drawback up with the playmaker, who turns 35 aboriginal this month.

The Napoli midfielder’s show is cardinal to Belgium’s likelihood of a heavy tally astatine the 2026 World Cup, and helium volition beryllium anxious to thrust them to a memorable decorativeness successful what volition beryllium his 4th and presumably last quality astatine the tournament.

Kevin De Bruyne volition look astatine this 4th World Cup [File: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters]

Virgil van Dijk – Netherlands

Experienced centre-back van Dijk is not rather the unit helium was a fewer years ago, erstwhile helium won the Champions League and Premier League successful back-to-back seasons with Liverpool.

The Netherlands skipper turns 35 adjacent month, and the Dutch could determination connected with a younger antiaircraft halfway by the clip the 2030 variation comes around.

After reaching the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals and Euro 2024 semifinals, van Dijk volition anticipation to instrumentality the squad 1 measurement further successful what volition beryllium his 3rd finals.

Netherlands skipper Virgil van Dijk turns 35 connected July 8 [Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters]

Sadio Mane – Senegal

Widely regarded arsenic 1 of the world’s champion wingers, Mane heads to the World Cup seeking to marque up for the disappointing limb wounded that denied him a changeable astatine Qatar 2022.

At 34, the Senegal planetary is acold from the highest of his career, which saw him bask trophy-laden spells astatine Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

Despite his mounting age, Mane remains the team’s root of inspiration and creativity, and helium was an integral portion of the broadside that bushed Morocco successful the Africa Cup of Nations last – lone for the effect to beryllium overturned owed to Senegal’s mid-game protest.

Mane volition diagnostic successful his third, and apt final, World Cup, fixed that the Teranga Lion has said the past AFCON was his last, though the coaching squad person said they person not fixed up connected changing his mind.

Sadio Mane is Senegal’s apical scorer with 53 goals [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

Guillermo Ochoa – Mexico

Part of an esteemed radical which includes Messi and Ronaldo, Ochoa is besides acceptable to play astatine a grounds sixth World Cup. The goalkeeper, who volition crook 41 adjacent month, had not been portion of the nationalist squad successful caller years, but was picked for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by his country, Mexico.

Known for being a formidable fig successful Mexico’s erstwhile World Cup campaigns, Ochoa volition discontinue astatine the extremity of the team’s tally astatine the tournament.

Guillermo Ochoa is the archetypal Mexican to play astatine six World Cups [Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters]

The FIFA World Cup begins connected June 11. You tin travel the enactment connected Al Jazeera’s dedicated World Cup 2026 page with each the latest news, lucifer build-up and unrecorded substance commentary, and support up to day with radical standings, real-time lucifer results and schedules.