likely final – With FIFA World Cup 2026 starting June 11 and featuring unprecedented sixth appearances for some legends, time—and fitness—hangs over the tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric and others enter North America with records in reach and injury d
The date is already circled: June 11, when FIFA World Cup 2026 begins. For a handful of players, it may be more than another tournament. It could be the last time they get to stand on the biggest stage, knowing their bodies may not cooperate the way they once did.
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in his record sixth World Cup—and at 41. it could be his final chance to win the golden trophy. the only major title missing from his cabinet. Fitness has been one of his strengths, but age is now catching up. Ronaldo. the second-oldest player at the tournament behind Scotland’s 43-year-old Craig Gordon. heads to North America with numbers that still refuse to fade: he scored 30 in 37 matches for Al-Nassr this season. and for Portugal his tally currently sits at 143 goals.
Lionel Messi is also chasing a sixth World Cup appearance. this one carrying the weight of defending Argentina’s title from Qatar four years ago. At 38, his role as the heartbeat of Argentina’s football-crazy nation is not in question. But the build-up has been shaped by injury doubts. Those questions are practical and immediate: whether he will feature in each game. and whether his body can keep up with the gruelling demands of an expanded World Cup.
The tournament’s farewell energy doesn’t belong only to the sport’s most headline-grabbing names. Luka Modric. Croatia’s captain and the engine behind his team’s recent history. is heading to what’s described as his fifth and final World Cup appearance. At 40, he arrives after undergoing cheekbone surgery, and he knows Croatia still leans on him for his playmaking. In 2018. Modric helped Croatia reach the final. then returned for third place in 2022—roles that have turned him into a hero in a side that has often defied expectations on the global stage.
Neymar Jr, at 34, carries a different kind of uncertainty. He’s Brazil’s all-time leading scorer. yet unlike Messi and Ronaldo. his place in the national team isn’t guaranteed. After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus from Brazil. his comeback has electrified fans—but the question now is whether it was a gamble or a masterclass by coach Carlo Ancelotti. Neymar has a history of fitness issues. a string of injuries. and a timeline that keeps shrinking: he would be 38 by the 2030 World Cup. What looks more certain is that this could be Neymar’s fourth and final act at the tournament.
Not every farewell story is about outfield legends. Manuel Neuer’s moment is rooted in a different kind of return. Germany’s coach Julian Nagelsmann described the “aura” of Neuer last month. and that aura seems to have brought him back: the 40-year-old came out of retirement to be named Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup. After nearly two years away, fans now have one last chance to see him at a World Cup. Neuer has played at four World Cups, including a key role in Germany’s 2014 World Cup triumph on Brazilian soil.
Mohamed Salah’s challenge comes from how quickly the spotlight can move. At 33. he may no longer be at the peak of his powers. and his recent season and subsequent departure from Liverpool have tempered expectations. Still, Egyptians continue to place their faith in their beloved number 10. This could be his second—and possibly final—World Cup. and the hope is specific: for Egypt to finally experience the joy of celebrating a World Cup victory. Egypt are back at the World Cup for only the third time, and Salah’s second.
Belgium’s future is tied to Kevin De Bruyne’s engine room. Part of the “golden generation” between 2014 and 2022. the playmaker is still producing for club and country. even as age is starting to catch up. De Bruyne turns 35 later this month, and his performance is central to Belgium’s odds of a deep run in 2026. He is set for his fourth World Cup appearance—and, as the story frames it, presumably his final one.
Virgil van Dijk carries a steadier kind of uncertainty—less about sudden doubt. more about what time takes from a team and not just a player. The Netherlands captain turns 35 next month. He’s not quite the force he was a few years ago. when he won the Champions League and Premier League in back-to-back seasons with Liverpool. After reaching the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals and Euro 2024 semifinals. van Dijk will hope to push the Netherlands one step further in what is his third finals. By the time the 2030 edition comes around, the Dutch could move on with a younger defensive core.
Sadio Mane’s story circles back to something heartbreakingly familiar in international football: the missed moment. Mane. 34. is heading to the World Cup seeking to make up for the disappointing leg injury that denied him a shot at Qatar 2022. His career has been trophy-laden in spells at Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but he’s now far from his peak. Still. he remains Senegal’s source of inspiration and creativity. and he was integral to the side that beat Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final—only for the result to be overturned due to Senegal’s mid-game protest. Mane is described as Senegal’s top scorer with 53 goals. The expectation is that this will be his third—and likely final—World Cup. with the Teranga Lions saying the last AFCON was his last. even though the coaching team have said they have not given up on changing his mind.
For Guillermo Ochoa, the farewell line has already started running. He is set to play at a record sixth World Cup. At 41. he will turn 41 next month. and he had not been part of the national squad in recent years—but he was picked for the tournament being co-hosted by his country. Mexico. Known for being a formidable figure in Mexico’s previous World Cup campaigns. Ochoa will retire at the end of the team’s run at the tournament.
The starting whistle on June 11 carries a subtext that can’t be coached or negotiated: for these players, records are still within reach, but so is the reality that their time at the top might be running out.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi Luka Modric Neymar Manuel Neuer Mohamed Salah Kevin De Bruyne Virgil van Dijk Sadio Mane Guillermo Ochoa