The biggest football legends we have lost to retirement in 2024

Every year, a batch of renowned players retire from football and in all fairness, some of them deserve the rest because they have served us well.

Andres Iniesta is the latest football legend to retire after an illustrious career, most notably for Barcelona.

The Spaniard leaves the centre stage at 40, a ripe age, and he deserves all the praise and admiration he is getting all over the world.

When Iniesta completed his last career move to Emirates Club last year, football lovers were baffled why he was still signing for a new club instead of retiring from the game.

This summer, Barcelona was one of the clubs who signed some of the best players in Europe, but their fans will wish they can discover another Iniesta.

However, the Barca legend is not the only top player we have lost this year. Several players who were key players in the last ten years have also hanged in their boots.

Iniesta’s move to the Emirates Club last year shows that he has not retired because of injury, but that cannot be said of the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Raphael Varane.

Both stars were forced to leave the game as injuries plagued their final years as professional players.

In this article, we consider the biggest names that left the scene in 2024 and discuss why they are special players.

Andres Iniesta, Spain, Barcelona

Iniesta is one of the players who took Barca out of oblivion and became a force to reckon with alongside Real Madrid in Spanish football.

The Whites remain the best club in Spain, arguably, and no other team comes close to them in the Champions League.

However, Iniesta’s spell at Barca was one of the most successful eras in the club history as he won nine league title, four Champions League crown, with Barca still looking to win Europe’s premier competition since he left them.

Iniesta was also a superb international player, helping Spain win Euro 2008 and the 2012 edition and clinching the FIFA World Cup trophy in 2010.

His close control, dribbling, precise passing and goals are what Barcelona tickets buyers wish they can find in one player now.

Toni Kroos, Germany, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid

Kroos’ announcement that he would retire from professional football at the end of Euro 2024 was the most shocking of all the players who left the game.

Kroos was still in top shape and had just helped Real Madrid to win the Champions League. Fans were almost sure that he still had enough to offer for club and country because he is just 34.

Last season, Kroos provided eight assists as Madrid were crowned the champions of Spain and he was also oustanding in the Champions League.

Los Blancos had renewed his contract for one more season last summer and would have offered a longer deal to him if he wanted.

Real Madrid ticket sales rely on their star names, and Kroos has been one of the biggest players in the clubs since he joined them in 2014.

As a player, Kroos was a modern day great in midfield. He was adept at playing long balls and only a few players could play the ball off the ground as successful as he did.

He was mostly a defensive midfielder and sometimes a deep-lying playmaker, and Kroos was accomplished in both roles.

Kroos’ longevity is also not talked about enough as he played for almost two decades, beginning his spell at Bayern Munich.

He also won six Champions League crowns, the World Cup, and three Bundesliga titles, among other trophies.

Pepe, FC Porto, Real Madrid

One of the best defenders of his generation and in the history of the game, counting his longevity at the top, Pepe will be a big loss to football in 2024.

The Portuguese defender spent most of his career at FC Porto and Real Madrid, joining the Spanish club from Porto in 2007.

He would rejoin FC Porto in 2019 at 35 and most people who bought FC Porto tickets were sure that he would play for a season or two before retiring.

However, Pepe played on until this summer and retired at 41, he played 132 league games for FC Porto during his second spell at the club, more than he did during his first spell.

Remarkably, the defender was also involved in Portugal matches until he retired in 2024, playing for them at the Euros in Germany!

Thiago Alcantara, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool

Thiago is one of the players whose career was ended by recurring injuries, but even before he moved to Liverpool, the midfielder was no longer at his peak.

He debuted for Barcelona at 18 and spent four years at the club, mostly working under Pep Guardiola before he joined the Catalan coach at Bayern Munich.

It was at Munich, under the guidance of Guardiola that Thiago blossomed, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders of his generation.

He won seven consecutive league titles and another Champions League in 2020 before leaving for Liverpool.

His ability to link up play, play key passes and provide magical assists made him a job to watch for those who bought Liverpool tickets even when he was not at his best physically.

Strikers like Samuel Eto’o, David Villa, Robert Lewandowski and Roberto Firmino all benefitted from having him as the creative midfielder behind them.

However, injuries ruined the final seasons of his career, but Thiago is one of the players football fans around the world will miss.

Raphael Varane, Lens, Real Madrid, Manchester United

Varane pulled up during his first game on the books of Como this summer, and the injury was serious enough for the Frenchman to announce his retirement from the game.

He had retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to reduce the number of games that he plays per year.

However, that decision still did not help him stay fit enough for Manchester United tickets buyers to watch him play for a long time.

The defender was forced to retire because of injury, but Varane left his mark in the game, especially during his spell at Real Madrid and he was also pivotal to France success at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Leonardo Bonucci, Juventus, AC Milan

Bonucci was forced out of Juventus at the start of the 2023/2024 season and he spent both half of the campaign at Union Berlin and Fenerbahce.

His spell at Juve was almost cut short in 2017, as he was sold to AC Milan and spent the 2017/2018 season at the Milan club.

He was bought back by the Old Lady a year later after settling his differences with Max Allegri.

Bonucci was a key member of the legendary Juventus tickets-selling BBC defence at Juventus which also comprised of Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli.

The defender was also a key player for the Italy national team and was a starter as they won Euro 2020, beating England at Wembley.

Most fans believe Juve unfairly treated him in the way he was booted out at the end of the 2022/2023 season, but the defender remains one of the biggest names in the game.

Conclusion

In 2024, several legendary players left the football scene and the game misses them, but that is normal.

New heroes are emerging, but two constants in the game remain Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

We do not expect either players to retire from the game any time soon, which is great for neutral fans.