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2022 is the year that football’s biggest stars will slug it out for the biggest prize in the sport as Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup comes to the end of the year.
It is a chance to witness the glory and new storylines as each participant will be desperate to make their mark in the biggest competition in the world of football. While there will be newcomers on football’s grandest stage, some superstars are taking part in their last World Cup Qatar 2022 due for various reasons and they will also be keen to make it a memorable last stand.
Hence, Overlyzer’s in-play football statistics app has helped us to determine some of the 10 players who will be playing in their last FIFA World Cup.
10 players who will be playing in their last FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 are mentioned below:
Cristiano Ronaldo
A bonafide superstar and all-around football legend, the Portugal captain has declared he expects the Qatar 2022 World Cup to be his last international tournament.
In an interview, Ronaldo said: ”Very good, for me. I expect Qatar could be my final World Cup’’.
The 36-year-old is the most prolific goalscorer in the history of international football and having broken the all-time goals record in the European Championship, Ronaldo will be looking to add to his seven World Cup goals and get his tally into double figures to end on a high.
Lionel Messi
Football is set for a new era after the World Cup as Ronaldo’s great rival will also be taking part in his final World Cup finals in Qatar.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner came agonizingly close to winning the tournament in 2014 but unfortunately lost the final to Germany. After lifting the first international trophy in 2021, Messi will want to add the most prestigious trophy of all to complete a stunningly extraordinary career.
Messi was named the best player of the 2014 World Cup and you cannot put another incredible campaign past the Argentina captain.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The 40-year-old made a sensational return to international football for the sole aim of participating at EURO 2020 and Qatar 2022.
After missing out on the aforementioned tournament due to injury, the Sweden legend is eyeing a return to the global showpiece. The ageless center-forward will look to break several records at the 2022 World Cup including being the oldest outfield player to play in a World Cup game, and also the only player to feature in the 2002 World Cup as well as the 2022 World Cup.
Luka Modric
The Golden Ball Award winner at the 2018 World Cup will hope to go one better than his runners-up medal and win the world title for his country.
The Most-capped Croatian has played in four World Cups and is desperate to achieve an incredible feat as a parting gift to his adoring nation. Hence, the entire Croatia team will also be looking to give a fond farewell to their greatest-ever player to cap off an incredible career for the Real Madrid midfielder.
Ahmed Musa
The 29-year-old does not command as much global appeal as the other superstars on this list but he is regarded as an all-time great in Nigeria where he holds the record for appearances and has scored the most World Cup goals (four).
Thus, Musa will be hunting for a fifth which will cement his place as the Super Eagles’ greatest of all time. He is the first Nigerian to score in two FIFA World Cup competitions and doing so for the third time will be a truly impressive achievement for a country with a history of talented players.
Luis Suarez
After his part in one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history, the striker will be appearing at his final global showpiece with Uruguay after his handball on the line denied Ghana a first semifinal appearance in 2010.
Suarez has more than his own fair share of World Cup moments having scored a decisive brace against England in the 2014 World Cup but ended his tournament by infamously biting Giorgio Chiellini which led to a lengthy ban.
Giorgio Chiellini
One of the best defenders of his generation will also call time on a storied international career that saw him become the sixth most-capped Italy international.
The famously rugged defender will hope to put his unique qualities on show at one last major tournament having captained the Azzurri to their second European triumph in 2021. The 37-year-old however has hurdles to surmount including getting Italy past their playoff opponents as well as staying fit enough to play due to his advancing years.
Neymar
Astonishingly, one of the world’s most talented footballers has admitted he will be playing his last FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 due to the immense pressure he faces playing for his country as well as the number of injuries he goes through.
“I think it’s my last World Cup. I see it as my last because I don’t know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football anymore. So I’ll do everything to turn up well, do everything to win with my country, to realize my greatest dream since I was little. And I hope I can do it.”
Neymar is Brazil’s most important player and his performance will be crucial to their chances of lifting a record-extending sixth FIFA World Cup. The 29-year-old has scored 70 international goals and will be looking to end as an all-time great.
Manuel Neuer
The German captain has said he will continue to play as long as his body permits, but the next World Cup might prove to be his last due to his advancing years.
Neuer is an undisputed German legend as he pioneered the “sweeper-keeper” role which distinguished him in the triumphant 2014 World Cup as he won the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
The 35-year-old is the first German goalkeeper to reach 100 caps and has the cleanest sheets in the history of the national team. Qatar 2022 could prove the perfect end to an outstanding career.
Thiago Silva
The ever-green defender is part of a dying breed of exceptional defenders who will be making their final hoorah in international football during the 2022 World Cup.
Silva is only three off Lucio’s 105 caps as Brazil’s fifth-highest appearances maker and he is desperate to close out a trophy-laden career with another World Cup triumph for the Selecao. The 37-year-old is playing at an incredibly high level for club and country with the motivation to captain Brazil to glory in Qatar.
