Will this World Cup be the last for several football greats of the modern generation?

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Time is the only team in football that is undefeated. Players may think they are beating it, but in the end, time always wins.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is likely to be the last major tournament for a host of football greats of the modern generation. Although some players want to continue with their careers at the club level, they may call it a day on their international careers following the tournament in Qatar.

There may not be a choice for other players. A combination of issues including form, injuries, and managers may decide it is time for them to stop playing at the international level.

By the time the World Cup 2022 finishes, there will only be three and a half years until the next World Cup. Although it doesn’t seem like a lot of time, three and a half years is a lifetime in the world of football.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is likely to be the final tournament for the world’s two biggest players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi is out of contract in the summer with Paris Saint-Germain, and there is already talk of the Argentine going into semi-retirement by playing in Major League Soccer.

Messi finally won the Copa America in 2021. He is 35 years old, and winning the World Cup this year would allow him to finally put the ghosts of Diego Maradona behind him.

Ronaldo is 38 and experiencing his worst-ever season at the club level. The Portuguese player isn’t wanted by Manchester United and recently expressed his anger at the club in a TV interview with Piers Morgan.

There are questions about whether Ronaldo can perform at the World Cup, especially in big games. Although he is a national hero, a poor World Cup could see Ronaldo fade from the international game even if he doesn’t want to.

Then there are other football stars, including Manuel Neuer, Luis Suarez, Thiago Silva, and more. Silva is 38 and one of the oldest players at the World Cup. The defender has defied the odds to still be playing at his current level.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will enter the tournament at the age of 36. Despite growing older, Neuer is still one of the world's best goalkeepers. The 2020 World Cup may not be his last tournament. Goalkeepers are a rare breed and get better with age. He is still at the top of his game at the club level.

Luis Suarez returned to Uruguay to play club football with Club Nacional during the offseason. After two seasons with Atletico Madrid, Suarez found interest in him in Europe difficult to come by.

Now 35, Suarez could play his final World Cup. Injuries are mounting, and the pace is decreasing for the former Liverpool and Barcelona man. Yet, he still has plenty to offer to new Uruguay stars such as Darwin Nunez.

Uruguay is a small country, so it may not be a quick international exit for Suarez following the World Cup.

Perhaps the player most likely to seek an exit from international football and play their final World Cup is Brazil’s Neymar. The forward has previously eluded to leaving international football around the age of 30.

A World Cup win would be the perfect way for Neymar to leave the Brazil national team. Yet, not lifting the trophy would add fuel to the fire of Neymar never achieving his potential as a footballer.