This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-FIFA
Raphaël Varane, Andrés Iniesta, Alex Morgan and Toni Kroos are among the football legends to have retired in 2024. FIFA looks back on their journey.
This year, football said goodbye to many players who lifted the FIFA World Cup™ or the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. Here we look at those who hung up their boots in 2024 and the campaigns that marked their legend.
FIFA World Cup™ Andrés Iniesta (Spain) – South Africa 2010
Tournaments: 4 Matches played: 14
A star of galactic proportions, Andrés Iniesta ended an exemplary career in October after more than 900 matches played for club and national team.
Although the midfield wizard will be remembered for his performances at Barcelona, he reached the peak of his career for La Roja in South Africa in 2010. While the score in the final, played against in the Netherlands at Soccer City Stadium, was still 0-0, Cesc Fàbregas delivered a pass to Iniesta in extra time. After perfect control, the native of Fuentealbilla fired a powerful cross shot which deceived Maarten Stekelenburg, giving the Iberians their first (and only) world title.
Jesús Navas (Spain) – South Africa 2010
Tournaments: 1 Matches played: 3
Another tireless Spanish player has imitated Iniesta: Jesús Navas. The latter hung up his boots at the end of 2024. A fast winger during the success in South Africa, Navas was present during Spain’s first two matches, but did not set foot on the field again until the final, where he entered to replace Pedro after an hour of play.
Around 14 years after helping his country win the World Cup (during which time he developed into a seasoned full-back), he helped lead the team to UEFA EURO 2024 victory over Germany.
Erik Durm (Germany) – Brazil 2014
Tournaments: 1 Matches played: 0
Full-back Erik Durm is the first world champion to end his career this year. He announced his retirement in January due to persistent injuries, at the age of 31.
He made his debut against Cameroon the day before the appointment of Joachim Löw at the head of the German collective for the Brazilian deadline of 2014. The right back, who was just 22 years old at the time, joined Franco Baresi and Ronaldo by winning football’s greatest trophy without playing a single minute. Indeed, he was a substitute and was never called upon in seven matches.
In July, Durm made his return to amateur football, signing with his hometown club SG Rieschweiler in Germany’s sixth division.
Shkodran Mustafi (Germany) – Brazil 2014
Tournaments: 1 Matches played: 3
Another member of the victorious German team who said goodbye to football is defender Shkodran Mustafi, who retired from sports in June.
Like Durm, he only made his senior debut shortly before Brazil 2014, in a friendly against Poland a month earlier. Occupying the right flank of the German defense during the first two matches of the World Cup, he also started the round of 16 against Algeria, but was forced to leave the field following a thigh injury which put a end his presence in the tournament.
Since July, he has been the assistant coach of the German U-17s alongside Marc-Patrick Meister.
Toni Kroos (Germany) – Brazil 2014
Tournaments: 3 Matches played: 14
Almost 10 years after Germany’s World Cup triumph, iconic midfielder Toni Kroos is the third player of this generation to hang up his boots, following the Nationalmannschaft’s UEFA EURO 2024 defeat against Spain in July.
The star, who played for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, played every minute of regulation time in the matches played by his team in Brazil. He scored two goals – in the crushing 7-1 victory against Brazil – and provided three assists. He was later voted Player of the Year by German fans.
Raphaël Varane (France) – Russia 2018
Tournaments: 3 Matches played: 18
Despite signing for Como, a team recently promoted to Serie A, Raphaël Varane called time on his career just two months into his Italian adventure, citing recurring injuries as the reason for his withdrawal.
The defender, who won no less than 20 titles with Real Madrid and Manchester United, was at the top of his game during the 2018 tournament. He played every minute of the Blues’ victorious campaign, displaying a solid pairing with Samuel Umtiti who was only shaken six times during the competition.
FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Sam Mewis (United States) – France 2019
Tournaments: 1 Matches played: 6
The iconic Sam Mewis was the first 2019 women’s world champion to bid farewell to football in 2024. She retired in January due to recurring knee injuries.
Her first success on the world stage came in 2012, when she helped the United States defeat Japan to win the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™. Seven years later in 2019, in France, Mewis played a key role in the Americans’ second consecutive victory in the Senior World Cup. The midfielder played six of the seven matches and was the author of the pass allowing Rose Lavelle to score the winning goal in the final.
Kelley O’Hara (United States) – Canada 2015, France 2019
Tournaments: 4 Matches played: 14
Kelley O’Hara is the second big American name to announce his retirement this year, in May.
She won gold at London 2012, the third in a row for North Americans, paving the way for an era of global success for her nation. O’Hara found the net in the semi-final victory over Germany at Canada 2015 (the match preceding the famous 5-2 final triumph at the expense of Japan), and was absent only in just one of the United States’ matches four years later when the Stars and Stripes retained their title.
Alex Morgan (United States) – Canada 2015, France 2019
Tournaments: 4 Matches played: 22
In September, Alex Morgan became the third American icon to take time off from football. The striker and fifth top scorer in United States history with 123 goals announced her retirement when she found out, at age 35, that she was expecting a second child.
Like Mewis, Morgan shone at the U-20 level before joining the first team: she won the World Cup in Chile in 2008, as well as the adidas Silver Ball and the adidas Bronze Shoe of that competition. Morgan then excelled at the London Olympics before bringing home two senior World Cup trophies. She was also awarded the adidas Silver Boot after scoring six goals during the United States’ campaign in France.
Becky Sauerbrunn (United States) – Canada 2015, France 2019
Tournaments: 3 Matches played: 14
Legendary defender Becky Sauerbrunn, two-time world champion and Olympic medalist, hung up her boots in December, ending an exemplary career at the age of 39.
After winning Olympic gold at London 2012, Sauerbrunn missed just one match at Canada 2015 and France 2019 combined. With 219 caps, she rose to 10th position on the list of American players with the most caps.
Other internationally renowned players have also ended their careers this year. The former Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci (Italy), the legendary Pepe (Portugal), midfielder Thiago Alcantara (Spain) and the two-time winner of the CONMEBOL Copa América Claudio Bravo (Chile) have also hung up their crampons.
At the same time, Christine Sinclair (Canada), top scorer in the history of international football with 190 goals in 331 matches, announced her retirement. The English captain Steph Houghton and the Swedish legend Caroline Seger did the same.
