Editor’s Note: Click on the links embedded in the images above to read our tributes to those who are likely to bow out from international football following Brazil 2014.
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Click on the images above to learn more about some of the great players for whom Brazil 2014 is a swansong
In amongst all the goals, the drama and excitement, and the scandal (we’re looking at you, Luis), each World Cup is tinged with sadness, as a handful of greats inevitably use the occasion to mark their final appearance on the international stage.
This tournament is no different, with players of the caliber of Xavi and Andrea Pirlo already having called time on their international careers. Others, including England’s Steven Gerrard and the United States’ Clint Dempsey are still undecided on their futures, but in any case unlikely to feature in Russia in four year’s time.
As the World Cup group stage comes to a close, we salute ten footballers who, if and when they decide to call it a day, we will certainly miss. There’s a new crop of up-and-coming superstars, but it’s hard not to feel nostalgic for those legends waving goodbye.
