Messi, Ronaldo: 11 greats set to play their last World Cup in 2022

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar looks set to be the final swansong for a number of legendary players. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of them. Other players from footballing powerhouses like France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Belgium are on track to bow out of the international game after Qatar.

Lionel Messi is thinking about his future after the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Argentina came close to winning the 2014 World cup in Brazil and Russia, but they looked much better under Jorge Sampaoli. Lionel Scaloni is a pragmatic coach. Messi was the top scorer and top assister at the Copa America in 2021.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time top goalscorer in international football. Manchester United have decided that Ronaldo's a hindrance rather than a help. There are also murmurings within Portugal where he's seen as a god. Ronaldo will be 41 when the 2026 World Cup takes place in North America.

Luka Modric won the Ballon d'Or 2018. He is the only player not named Messi or Ronaldo to win it since 2007. The 37-year-old helped Croatia reach the World Cup final in 2018 and is a four-time Champions League winner.

Karim Benzema has peaked at the age of 34. He won the La Liga title and Champions League last season. The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner was exiled from the France camp for reasons that are not necessary to go into. France are aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962.

Sergio Busquets is the last player from Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad left. Sergio Ramos hasn't officially retired from international football, but he didn't make Spain’s Euro 2020 squad. Busqets has one more year on his contract at Barcelona.

Thiago Silva will be 38 at the Qatar World Cup. He will play for Brazil against Chelsea in December.

Robert Lewandowski is the likeliest player to play at the 2026 World Cup. He will be 37 by then. Poland icon is their captain, all-time top scorer and appearance-maker.

Toni Kroos has retired from international football. Thomas Muller could still be playing for Germany in 2026. Manuel Neuer is the only player from Germany's 2014 World Cup victory in Brazil to hang up his boots after Qatar. Neuers is 40 and he will be aiming to win a second World cup with his country.

Belgium's golden generation is gradually ebbing away. Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen have already retired. Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld's days appear numbered. Eden Hazard's injury problems at Real Madrid have taken their toll.

Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are set to play their last World Cup in 2022. They are Uruguay's all-time top scorers with 68 goals. They were up-and-coming in 2010 when they helped Diego Forlan reach the semi-finals.