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There is no set pattern for the growth of a footballer. Some of them bloom early and dip quickly. Some of them hit their peak around the age of 25 and keep it going for a good five to six years before they can't keep up those levels anymore.
There are also players who bloom late and play some of the best football of their careers in their late 20s or early 30s. Some players are so good that they can sustain world-class levels for over a decade. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are all examples of such players.
There has been a renewed focus on fitness regimes and dietary plans in recent times and footballers have enjoyed the direct benefits of this. They are able to stay in mint physical condition for a longer period of time and enjoy a longer peak.
Despite all that, there comes a time in a footballer's career where he just cannot hack it like he used to any longer. Without further ado, let's take a look at five world-class footballers who might never be back to their best again.
#5 Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Romelu Lukaku had the best season of his life at Inter Milan in 2020-21. The Belgian international thrives in counter-attacking setups where he is afforded a lot of space to run into. He is not a great asset to have when your side likes to dominate possession and incorporate intricate patterns of play.
Chelsea broke their transfer record to bring Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge last summer. But what they got was the shadow of a player who terrorized Serie A defences last term. The 28-year-old's first touch is still poor and his finishing has been substandard as well.
This was Lukaku's last chance to hack it at a big club. But 10 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions make for poor reading. He has been clumsy with the ball at his feet and has looked short on confidence. Lukaku perhaps hit his ceiling at Inter Milan and it's unlikely they will take him back too.
He plays like a player who is well past his prime and it will be interesting to see if he even hits the 10-goal mark in the Premier League this term.
#4 Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
When people talk about how dominant Barcelona's midfield used to be in the last decade, the discussion is mostly focused on Andres Iniesta and Xavi. But Sergio Busquets was as important to the Catalans as the other two. Busquets was the heart of that midfield.
His spatial awareness, ability to remain calm under pressure and sheer technical flair to navigate cul-de-sacs made him the best holding midfielder in the world. It is a tag that belonged to him for close to a decade.
There was simply no one who was better than the Spanish international at controlling the tempo of a game and dictating play from midfield. He has won nearly everything that is to be won in the world of football and is one of the most accomplished players of all time.
However, the 33-year-old is well past his prime now. He is in the twilight of his career and is not as efficient as he used to be. Don't get us wrong, he's still one of the better holding midfielders out there but there's no way Busquets is touching the levels of his peak years again.
#3 Eden Hazard (Real Madrid)
When Eden Hazard finally secured his dream move to Real Madrid in 2019, football fans were expecting him to take his game to another level. The Belgian international had been phenomenal for Chelsea up until that point.
So the expectation was that he'd take his game up a notch like Cristiano Ronaldo after joining Los Blancos from Manchester United. Little did we know that Hazard had already hit his peak. In his prime, Hazard was uncatchable.
He possessed an incredible burst of pace, was as technically gifted as any modern winger we'd seen and his decision-making was simply elite. In 352 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea, Hazard scored 110 goals and provided 92 assists.
Over the course of two and a half seasons at Real Madrid, the 31-year-old has made just 62 appearances across all competitions. He has managed to score just six goals whilst racking up 10 assists. It is clear as day that Hazard's best days are way behind him as he plays second-fiddle to Vinicius Jr. at Real Madrid.
#2 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
Going by sheer talent and athletic ability, Gareth Bale is perhaps the closest thing we've seen to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Welshman turned heads with his incredible performances for Tottenham Hotspur and won the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice.
Real Madrid signed him in 2013 for around €91 million and he started delivering for them straight out the gate. He scored crucial goals for them in the 2013-14 and 2017-18 Champions League finals and was unstoppable on his day. The pacy forward turned in world-class performances consistently in his heyday.
Bale also became part of one of the deadliest attacking trios, the BBC, alongside Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But he had a falling out with then-manager Zinedine Zidane and fell out of favor. Real Madrid then blocked a potential move to China and Bale was none too pleased about it. He even publicly undermined Real Madrid a few times before he was sent to his former club Spurs on loan for the 2020-21 season.
Bale did a decent job there despite his spell being marred by injury issues. Constant injury problems have definitely stopped Bale from maximizing his potential but he has had an illustrious career replete with several stunning goals and moments.
But it has become clear this season that Bale is way past his prime and that a return to his glory days is no longer possible. He has started just four La Liga games for Real Madrid this term.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo left Juventus last summer with his head held high. He had won the Serie A Golden Boot, scoring 29 goals in 33 appearances for the Bianconeri last season. In 134 appearances for the Old Lady since joining them in 2018, Ronaldo has scored 101 goals and provided 22 assists.
He also scored five goals and provided an assist in four games for Portugal at Euro 2020 and won the Golden Boot at the continental tournament as well. That's why he was expected to improve Manchester United's attack this term.
Although he has scored 14 goals in 27 appearances so far this season for the Red Devils, the fact that Ronaldo is well past his prime has not been more apparent. Sure, he is 37-years-old and it's been a while since he lost a yard of pace but the drop in levels in recent months has been quite appalling.
The Portuguese international has now gone six games without scoring, his biggest goal drought since his early days at Real Madrid when he had gone five games without scoring. Ronaldo's link-up play has been poor as well. His shooting has been nothing to write home about and he hardly ever gets on the end of good crosses.
