World Cup: Two Players Who Should Come Out of International Retirement This Summer
German football fans – Source: Unsplash
The FIFA World Cup is filled with stories of legends coming out of retirement to have one last crack at the biggest prize in the game. Zinedine Zidane performed a famous U-turn to help his beloved France out of a hole in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup, and the iconic attacking midfielder didn’t just lead Les Bleus to qualification; he very nearly led them to the trophy before a moment of madness stopped him in his tracks. Lionel Messi even returned to the international stage after back-to-back Copa America final defeats in 2015 and 2016, and it’s a good job he did, as he would finally lead Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022. With the 2026 installment of the tournament just around the corner, it’s the young guns that online betting sites make the team to beat. Spain famously claimed a record-breaking fourth European Championship in the summer of 2024, with their young stars Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Nico Williams leading them to the trophy with a 2-1 win against England in Berlin. Now, a major Canadian online casino and betting site makes them the 9/2 favorites to win the World Cup this summer, 16 years on from their maiden triumph in South Africa. But with the World Cup fast approaching, a number of the beautiful game’s best veterans have hung up their boots, no longer competing internationally in a bid to extend their club careers as long as possible. Here are two such stars that we think should reconsider their decision for one last foray onto the global stage.
Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer might be 40 years of age, but he remains Germany’s best goalkeeper by a distance, and his recent performance in the Bernabeu proved it. He captained Bayern Munich into the lion’s den for a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash against record 15-times champions Real Madrid, and he was in the form of his life as he helped his side return to Bavaria with a 2-1 win. The former Germany skipper turned away chance after chance from superstars Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., ensuring that goals from Luis Diaz and Harry Kane were enough to secure the win. The veteran shot-stopper is already considered the finest ‘keeper in the history of German football, despite retiring from international duty at the end of Euro 2024. 135 caps, four straight trips to at least the semifinals in each of his first four major tournaments as number one, headlined by that 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil. However, there can be no denying that Neuer does have some unfinished business with the beautiful game’s biggest party. In each of his last two trips to the World Cup, ‘Manu’ and his German teammates were dumped out in the group stage, and that could well serve as perfect motivation should he wish to have one last crack at the whip this summer. But selecting Neuer wouldn’t just be nostalgia. Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann is currently the German number one, and there can be no denying that Neuer is streets clear of the 35-year-old in terms of quality. Alexander Nubel is the next in line, but he has been forced out of Bayern Munich on loan for each of the last three years simply because he isn’t good enough to inherit Neuer’s kingdom in Bavaria just yet. Recalling the 40-year-old would be an upgrade on the current German shot-stoppers, of that there is no doubt.
Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann also retired from international football at the end of Euro 2024. He had just turned 35 years of age and announced that he would be heading to Orlando City in the MLS in the summer. Still, he remains as elite as ever, and he is still Atletico Madrid’s most talented pure footballer. Club manager Diego Simeone has managed the Frenchman’s minutes all season, and that decision is paying dividends right now as Grizou continues to deliver spectacular displays, propelling Los Rojiblancos to the Copa Del Rey final and the Champions League semifinals, should they cling onto their two goal lead against Barcelona in the second leg in the Spanish capital. Griezmann was France’s best player in Euro 2016, the 2018 World Cup, and again in Qatar four years later. In each of those tournaments, Les Bleus reached the final, famously winning the 2018 showpiece in Russia with a 4-2 victory against Croatia in Moscow. Naturally, Griezmann was on the scoresheet. In recent years, he has adapted his game to a deeper role, focused more on playmaking rather than goalscoring. That has worked wonders at Atletico, with Griezmann regularly providing opportunities for strikers Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth to feast on. Didier Deschamps desperately needs such a player for the French national team. Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Hugo Ekitike are all goalscorers, but none of them are the type to drop deep and link play. Griezmann is that man, and he would instantly make France a better team should he be called upon. The questions now are whether Deschamps makes that call, and if he does, does Griezmann accept?
