Portugal’s elimination against Spain not only meant Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup match. He also confirmed that Lionel Messi is the only great reference of a generation that marked an era and that continues in competition in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Luka Modric, Manuel Neuer, Guillermo Ochoa, Enner Valencia and Fernando Muslera ended their World Cup tours in North America, the Argentine captain keeps alive the possibility of expanding a legacy that already occupies a privileged place in the history of football.
At 41 years old, Cristiano played his sixth and last World Cup. His career concluded with 27 games and 11 goals, becoming one of the three players who participated in six editions of the World Cup, along with Lionel Messi and the Mexican Guillermo Ochoa.
His farewell came just one day after Brazil’s elimination, which also meant the end of the World Cup cycle. NeymarCanarinha’s all-time top scorer. The forward closed his career with four participations in World Cups and the unfinished goal of winning the sixth title for his country.
The latest references
The list of farewells includes several footballers who marked an era.
Luka Modric40, ended his career after Croatia’s elimination against Portugal. The midfielder was the leader of the Croatian team that reached runners-up in Russia 2018 and third place in Qatar 2022.
The goalkeeper also said goodbye Manuel Neuerworld champion with Germany in Brazil 2014 and considered one of the most influential goalkeepers of the modern era. His international retirement came after the German elimination against Paraguay.
In Concacaf, Guillermo Ochoa It closed its sixth World Cup participation after Mexico’s defeat against England at the Azteca Stadium. With this he equaled the record of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as one of the few footballers present in six World Cups.
In South America the cycles of Enner ValenciaEcuador’s all-time top scorer, and the goalkeeper Fernando Muslerawho for more than a decade was one of the leaders of the Uruguayan team.
Also added to this list is Casemirowho, at 34 years old, played his last World Cup with Brazil. The midfielder, one of the leaders of the Canarinha during the last decade, said goodbye after the elimination against Norway in the round of 16.
Messi, the last one standing
The generational change has already begun in several of the main teams in the world.
Portugal will have to rebuild without Cristiano Ronaldo; Brazil will begin a new stage after the departures of Neymar and Casemiro; Croatia will leave behind the generation led by Modric; Germany will begin a new cycle without Neuer; while Mexico, Ecuador and Uruguay will also lose some of the most representative footballers in their recent history.
In the midst of this renewal, Lionel Messi remains the only great reference of that generation that continues competing for the World Cup.
The Argentine captain will face the round of 16 against Egypt with seven goals in the tournament, as the competition’s top scorer, and with the possibility of continuing to expand his record of matches played in the World Cups. While several of his contemporaries definitively closed their World Cup history in North America, Messi continues writing his with the aim of leading Argentina to a new title.