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It was the World Cup of ’last dances.’
The aforementioned phrase, coined by legendary Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson, was the title of the outstanding Netflix docu-series that detailed the Michael Jordan-led Bulls dynasty of the 1990s.
Jordan’s ’last dance’ ended with a sixth NBA Championship in 1998, and an array of contemporary soccer icons entered the 2026 World Cup in the hope of enjoying a similarly glorious farewell.
But it wasn’t to be. There were no fairytale endings in North America this summer, and retirements have been confirmed in the aftermath.
Here are eight notable players who have called time on their international soccer careers.
Manuel Neuer (Germany)
A revolutionary figure between the posts, Manuel Neuer brought himself out of retirement to compete at a fifth World Cup. In truth, he ought not to have bothered.
This was a bad Germany team, and Neuer no longer looks like an elite operator between the posts. The 40-year-old triumphed in Brazil 12 years ago, but was subject to a humiliating elimination this time around.
Neuer’s final vintage moment—saving Fabian Balbuena’s penalty in the round-of-32 shootout against Paraguay—was undermined by Jonathan Tah blazing the next spot-kick hopelessly over the bar. José Canale then won it for the South Americans, as Germany returned for Europe in disgrace.
“Despite the bitter end, I don’t regret this decision [to come out of retirement],” Neuer said with a clenched fist.
Neymar (Brazil)
Soccer romantics rejoiced when Carlo Ancelotti named Neymar Júnior on Brazil’s rather underwhelming 26-man roster. Realists, though, knew that the once-generationally gifted Brazilian talisman was no longer the force of his heyday.
Ancelotti seldom gets things wrong, but his decision to select Neymar proved a fatal one.
He rocked up to camp with a calf injury, and didn‘t make his first appearance until Matchday 3 of the group stage. Neymar masqueraded as a sorry iteration of himself, yet Ancelotti still trusted him with so much on the line in the round-of-16 clash against Norway.
The writing was on the wall for Brazil after Neymar‘s introduction. Unable to press, the Seleção ceded control and eventually fell to an Erling Haaland brace. There was time for Neymar to score his ninth World Cup goal from the penalty spot, taunting Ørjan Nyland in the process, but that would prove to be just a sorry consolation as Brazil endured its earliest World Cup exit since 1990.
Sadio Mané (Senegal)
Senegal’s World Cup campaign was a mess off the field, and its disorganisation was reflected on the pitch. The moral African champion collapsed in dramatic circumstances against Belgium to succumb in the round of 32.
It’s time for a major overhaul at the very top of Senegalese soccer, with a new dawn beckoning after a mightily successful period. Manager Pape Thiaw has gone, and its greatest-ever player, Sadio Mané, confirmed his retirement from the national team in the wake of their catastrophic elimination.
“Know that I sacrificed everything for this flag. I gave the very best of myself, and I always fought fiercely for our homeland,” Mané commented. He retires after scoring 55 times in 132 caps, having also inspired the Lions of Teranga to AFCON glory in 2021.
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Twelve years separated Riyad Mahrez’s two World Cup appearances, and the former Manchester City winger deemed the conclusion of Algeria’s campaign this summer as the ideal time to call it quits.
Mahrez’s two goals at the tournament arrived in the chaotic 3–3 draw with Austria that saw both teams through to the knockout stages. However, there was little Mahrez could do to prevent Algeria falling to Switzerland in the round of 32.
He retires as his country’s second all-time leading goalscorer with 40 goals, and will surely be regarded as the finest talent Algeria has ever produced. He’s certainly the most decorated.
Nicolás Otamendi (Argentina)
Nicolás ’El General’ Otamendi’s 139th and final Argentina cap arrived in the World Cup final.
La Albiceleste’s defeat to Spain in New Jersey should represent the end of an era for Argentinian soccer, with several members of Lionel Scaloni’s roster likely to soon join Otamendi in retirement—Lionel Messi chief among them.
Otamendi’s international career spanned 17 years. He suffered through the nadirs with Messi, as well as the more recent glorious highs. He played a key role in its Copa América successes and World Cup triumph in 2022, playing every single minute of Argentina’s campaign in Qatar.
He operated in reserve this time around, yet his presence will still be sorely missed.
Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico)
There’s not a soul in the soccer world who has anything against legendary Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
A true fan favorite and a bona fide World Cup icon, the 41-year-old was selected for his sixth this summer and even received 12 minutes of game time from Javier Aguirre in Mexico’s final group outing against Czechia.
However, his tournament ended in tears after England waltzed into the Azteca and claimed a stunning victory at altitude in the round of 16.
Marko Arnautovic (Austria)
Marko Arnautović was unable to properly leave his mark on the tournament, as Austria suffered against its two opponents of note.
However, its all-time record goalscorer did score twice at his first World Cup before Spain proved to be far too good in the first knockout round. His career with the national team spanned 18 years, and few can say they’ve had as big an impact on Austrian soccer as Arnautović. Not since the days of Matthias Sindelar anyway.
“What a career. What a character. Thank you for everything," a post from the Austrian Football Association read.
Patrik Schick (Czechia)
Patrik Schick’s decision to retire from the Czechia national team was certainly a surprise, but can you blame him given the service he received at this summer’s tournament?
The Bayer Leverkusen striker barely got a sniff of goal as a drab Czechia team, far too reliant on set-pieces, failed to make it out of the group stage.
Hours after its elimination was confirmed, the 30-year-old said: “Today, my national team chapter is coming to an end.” Only two players have scored more for Czechia than Schick, who starred at Euro 2020, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we saw a U-turn from the striker before the next European Championships in two years.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Biggest Names to Have Retired From International Soccer After 2026 World Cup.
