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It's almost sad that footballers have such short spanning careers. We all become used to seeing them every week, be it on television or live, and when they do decide to hang up their boots and walk away in the sunset, it is a sad thing to envisage.
We live every up and down with our favorite players, be it Lionel Messi's Ballon d'Or victories or Ronaldo's apparent loss of form of late. Hence, it is one of the saddest things to see a player nearing the end of their career, being a shadow of their former self, but still giving everything for our favorite teams.
Be it David Beckham or Ronaldinho, every football fan around the world felt sad whenever their hero decided to take a permanent leave from his football, and so, we take a look at some of our favorite players who may, given their age, decide to retire from the beautiful game in the foreseeable future.
#5 Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus)
Age: 40 years
Position: Goalkeeper
Clubs: Parma, Juventus
Country: Italy
Honours:
Club: Serie A -10, Serie B - 1, Coppa Italia - 4, Supercoppa Italiana - 6, UEFA Cup - 1
International: FIFA World Cup - 1
A true veteran of the game, aged 40, Gianluigi Buffon is one of the best goalkeepers in the game. A leader on the pitch, his dominant presence in goal has always been a soothing sight for defenders, be it for his club or for the Italian national side.
The Italian has featured on the UEFA Team of the Year five times, and has won almost every trophy there is to win at club level, barring the UEFA Champions League. With Juventus strong contenders to lift the trophy in the latest edition of the competition, Buffon must be eager to add the prestigious medal to his trophy cabinet. The shot-stopper has won eight Serie A titles, Serie B once and the Coppa Italia four times.
The shot-stopper has stated that this may be his last season in football, provided Juventus win the Champions League after which he may reconsider his decision. He retired from international football after Italy failed to qualify for the latest edition of the World Cup, being held in Russia in 2018.
#4 John Terry (England, Aston Villa)
Age: 37 years
Position: Centre-back
Clubs: Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa
Country: England
Honours:
Club: Premier League - 5, FA Cup - 5, Football League Cup - 3, FA Community Shield - 2, UEFA Champions League - 1, UEFA Europa League - 1
John Terry is widely considered as one of the best defenders who have played for England. Coming through the ranks, the Englishman has spent the best part of his footballing career at Chelsea. He spent 19 hugely successful years at the North London club and was ever present in their backline.
An integral part of the squad since the start of the Roman Abramovich era, Terry has won almost every major trophy at club level, including five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League once. He was captain of the side from 2004 to the time he decided to see out the twilight years of his career at Aston Villa in the Championship.
A strong defender, he has been praised for his positional sense, heading ability, tackling and leadership on the pitch. In his final season at Chelsea in 2017, he became the first-ever player to captain a team to the Premier League title on five occasions.
Terry has previously hinted that this would be his last season playing football and has been widely tipped to manage Chelsea in the future.
#3 Franck Ribéry (France, Bayern Munich)
Age: 34 years
Position: Winger
Clubs: Boulogne, Olympique Alès, Brest, Metz, Galatasaray, Marseille, FC Bayern München
Country: France
Honours:
Club: Bundesliga-7, DFB-Pokal-5, DFB-Ligapokal-1, DFL-Supercup- 4, UEFA Champions League-1, UEFA Super Cup-1, FIFA Club World Cup-1, Turkish Cup - 1
Franck Ribéry is one of the best and the last remaining "traditional" wingers in the world. Plying his trade for a number of clubs before settling down in Bavaria, the Frenchman has won a number of honours with Bayern Munich, including seven Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Champions League title.
Ribéry finished third in the race for the 2013 Ballon d'Or after winning a historic treble with Bayern Munich under the stewardship of Jupp Heynckes. He turned out 80 times for his country, scoring 16 goals and finished as a runner up in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
On the pitch, the French attacker is known for his pace, creativity and silky smooth skills with the ball. He has also shown exemplary playmaking skills over the years, racking up a number of assists for his teammates.
Aged 34, Ribéry has been plagued by injuries throughout his career but is still an integral part of the Bayern Munich squad and a dominant presence on the pitch when fit. The winger is in the final year of his contract with the club and has previously stated he would like to retire with the current Bundesliga Champions.
#2 Arjen Robben (Netherlands, Bayern Munich)
Age: 34 years
Position: Winger
Clubs: Groningen, PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, FC Bayern München
Country: Netherlands
Honours:
Club: Premier League- 2, FA Cup-1, League Cup-2, FA Community Shield-1, La Liga-1, Supercopa de España-1, Bundesliga-6, DFB-Pokal-4, DFL-Supercup-1, UEFA Champions League-1, UEFA Super Cup-1, Dutch Eredevisie-1, Johan Cruyff Shield-1
Arjen Robben is a player who is easily recognisable on the football pitch through his trademark runs on the wing. We all love when the Dutch forward cuts back on his left foot and curls the ball into the net, a quality that is feared around the world by goalkeepers and defenders alike.
He is simply unstoppable when on song, with his dribbling skills, close control on the ball and shooting ability making him a nightmare to deal with for opposition left-backs. Over the years, Robben has formed a fruitful partnership on the wings with Franck Ribéry. "Robbery", as they are popularly dubbed, have led Bayern Munich to many a title together.
The Dutchman has played for many top clubs around the world like PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, winning the league title with each one of them. It is in Germany though, where he found a home. Into his ninth season with Bayern, Robben has been an ever-present in the side.
The pacy winger announced his retirement from the Dutch national squad when they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and has stated that he will consider hanging up his boots after this season.
#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Manchester United)
Age: 36 years
Position: Striker
Clubs: Malmö FF, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United
Country: Sweden
Honours:
Club: Serie A - 4, Supercoppa Italiana - 3, La Liga - 1, Supercopa de España - 2, UEFA Super Cup - 1, FIFA Club World Cup - 1, Ligue 1 - 4, Coupe de France - 2, Coupe de la Ligue - 3, Trophée des Champions - 3, EFL Cup - 1, UEFA Europa League - 1, FA Community Shield - 1, Dutch Eredivisie - 2, KNVB Cup - 1
One of the most recognizable figures in world football, Zlatan Ibrahimović is rated as one of the best forwards in the world. A ferocious striker of the ball, Ibrahimovic has enjoyed a long and successful career in football, winning the Swedish Football of the year 11 times. He retired from international football after Euro 2016.
A journeyman throughout his career, the Swedish superstar has turned out for a number of top clubs across Europe and won trophies almost everywhere he has been. He is widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and has been a frequent goalscorer for club and country. He is known for his clinical finishing, heading ability, strength and versatility on the pitch. In his prime, Ibrahimovic was characterised by his pace, agility and skill on the ball.
The self-anointed "God of football" is currently plying his trade for Manchester United in England. Ibrahimović has been constantly linked with the MLS and is expected to see out his playing career in the USA.
