As the 2026 World Cup progresses, several established international footballers have used the tournament as their final bow for their national teams, marking the end of an era for some of the sport's most recognisable names. The wave of retirements spans veteran World Cup winners, long-serving squad players and stars whose international careers began and ended with modest returns, reflecting the natural generational turnover that follows a major tournament.

Among those calling time are Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, 40, who briefly came out of retirement before Germany's penalty shootout exit to Paraguay, and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa, 41, celebrated for his memorable displays against Brazil in 2014. Czechia's Patrik Schick, 30, ended his international career after a winless group stage, while Algeria's Riyad Mahrez, 35, and Ecuador's Enner Valencia, 36, both bowed out following their teams' last-32 exits. Argentina's Nicolás Otamendi, 38, who was part of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, also confirmed his retirement, having signalled the decision back in March.