Lionel Messi’s Final World Cup—and the Death of Early Retirement
Professional football is seeing an increase in the average age of elite players, with many stars competing well into their late thirties and early forties. While young talent continues to emerge, veterans are extending their careers longer than in previous decades.
Why it matters
This trend challenges traditional views on athletic retirement and suggests advancements in sports science and training are allowing players to maintain peak performance for longer.
They were wrong.
Instead, Messi came back four years later to lift the trophy in Qatar. Then he came back again this year at 39. However, Messi is not the exception any more.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has said that this World Cup will be his last after Portugal’s Round of 16 exit following the team’s loss to Spain. Brazil’s Neymar, 34, too, announced his retirement from international football, as did Germany’s Manuel Neuer, 40. Meanwhile, Guillermo Ochoa, who turned 41 this month, is stepping away from professional football after becoming the first goalkeeper to make six World Cup squads.
Even as this World Cup has felt like one long farewell tour, for many of these players, the goodbye came years later than anyone expected.
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