Several senior international players have been eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in matches that marked, or are likely to mark, the end of their careers at the tournament.
The list includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Guillermo Ochoa and Manuel Neuer.
The tournament is still ongoing, with the quarterfinals yet to be completed.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo’s exit came on Monday, when Portugal were eliminated 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16 in Arlington, Texas.
Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the match in the 91st minute. Spain will play the winner of the United States’ match against Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Ronaldo had said before kick-off that this would be his last World Cup.
He made 27 appearances across six tournaments, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026, the second-highest total in the competition’s history behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who has 30.
Ronaldo scored 11 goals in total, tied for ninth on the all-time World Cup scoring list, and became the first player to score in six different editions of the tournament after scoring against Uzbekistan in the group stage.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo said he was leaving with no regrets. “I’ve given my all. I’ve won three titles with Portugal,” he said, adding that Portugal’s 2016 European Championship win ranked, in his view, on the same level as a World Cup.
Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez described Ronaldo’s role in the squad since his own appointment.
Martinez said he arrived to a team with doubts surrounding the captain, but that Ronaldo had since become a role model through his conduct and commitment on the pitch.
Neymar
Neymar played his last World Cup match, so far, in Brazil’s 2-1 loss to Norway.
Speaking to TV Globo afterward, he said his international career was over.
The match was played at the same New York/New Jersey stadium where Neymar made his international debut in 2010.
He scored Brazil’s goal from a penalty kick, having played through a calf injury for most of the tournament.
Neymar leaves as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, with 80 goals ahead of Pele’s 77.
Riyad Mahrez
Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez was eliminated in the round of 32 following a 2-0 loss to Switzerland.
Speaking directly after the match, Mahrez, 35, said it was his last game for Algeria and that it was now the turn of the next generation of players.
Mahrez leaves international football with 119 caps and 40 goals, and a starring role in Algeria’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
Guillermo Ochoa
Guillermo Ochoa’s exit came in Mexico’s 3-2 loss to England. Ochoa, 40, is the third-oldest player at this tournament.
He kissed the goalpost and applauded fans before leaving the pitch, saying afterward that he had given his all and was proud of his experience at the World Cup.
He has said in earlier interviews that he intends to retire from the national team after the tournament, and possibly from playing altogether.
Manuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer’s case differs from the others in one respect: he had already retired from international football before returning for this tournament.
Germany were eliminated in the round of 32, losing to Paraguay on penalties.
Neuer, 40, said afterward that he did not regret the decision to come back, adding that part of his reason for returning was to support the team’s younger players.
Players yet to be decided
A number of other veteran players remain in the tournament, and their World Cup futures are still open.
Lionel Messi, 39, has not confirmed a retirement but is widely expected to treat 2026 as his last World Cup with Argentina, who remain in contention.
Croatia’s Luka Modric, also in his 40s, has not announced a farewell either.
The 2026 World Cup is continuing, with the quarterfinal round yet to be completed.
Whether further players confirm similar exits before the tournament ends remains to be seen.
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