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#3 Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
With 107 caps to his name, Giorgio Chiellini is the most experienced Italian player at Euro 2020. A tough-tackling, no-nonsense defender, Chiellini is still going strong at the age of 36. He continues to be the first-choice centre-back at his club Juventus.
Roberto Mancini will bank on Chiellini's experience on the international stage to lead his side through the tournament. Italy have one of the most exciting squads going into Euro 2020. They have a lot of veterans in their squad with as many as seven players over the age of 30.
But Chiellini is the oldest of them all and this is likely to be his last major tournament for the international side. He struggled with various injury issues throughout the 2020-21 season and it seems like his age is finally catching up with him.
#2 Pepe (Portugal)
Despite being 38, Pepe continues to be one of Portugal's first-choice centre-backs. He is expected to be partnered up with young Ruben Dias at Euro 2020. Fernando Santos will be hoping that Pepe's experience and Dias' overall excellence will prove to be a formidable combination at the back.
Pepe has been a regular feature in the Portugal national side since 2008. He played a crucial role in Portugal's 2016 Euro triumph and their subsequent title-winning run in the UEFA Nations League.
The former Real Madrid centre-back still packs a lot of pace and is one of the most aggressive defenders heading into the tournament. But it certainly looks like he might call it quits after Euro 2020 as he has suffered multiple injuries over the course of the past couple of seasons.
#1 Luka Modric (Croatia)
Luka Modric is arguably Croatia's most important player as they gear up for Euro 2020. The Real Madrid midfielder has enjoyed the best spell of his career since turning 30 and even guided his team to the World Cup final in 2018. But he could be the most high-profile player to retire from international football after Euro 2020.
Modric will turn 36 in September and though his fitness levels have been satisfactory, he could call it a day on his international career after the tournament. Croatia also have a crop of talented midfielders like Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic and Nikola Vlasic in their squad and they could take over from here on in.
His midfield partner for a long time, Ivan Rakitic, retired from international football last September. It feels like the right time to bid farewell to Modric. But you cannot dismiss the chance that he might decide to stick around until the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
