Top football Players who retired in 2024

One thing sports enthusiasts dread is their favourites bidding farewell to the game. Recently, many big names have said goodbye to this beautiful, which is why today we have come up with football players retiring in 2024. Life on a football pitch is as draining as it is rewarding. Some athletes get their hands on major titles and become the apple of their fans’ eyes, while others earn a place in people’s hearts with their contributions to the game.

This year saw some great football players finally putting an end to their careers after stretching it for way more than expected. Some called it a day when fans believed the players still had a lot left in them. Below, we will take a look at retired soccer players who played their final games in 2024.

List of 2024 Retired Football Players

8. Joe Hart

Joe Hart is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers and football players the Premier League has ever witnessed. After debuting for Shrewsbury in 2003, he joined Manchester City in 2006. He was loaned out quite a few times to Tranmere Rovers, Blackpool, and Birmingham before becoming a starter for Manchester City.

The decision worked wonders for Manchester City, as they won the Premier League in 2011-12 and 2013-14. Hart played 348 games for City and kept 137 clean sheets. He was named the Premier League Goalkeeper of the Season for three consecutive seasons. Joe held the fort for City’s one FA Cup win and two English League Cup triumphs as well. 

Hart became 3x Scottish Champion, 2x Scottish Cup, and 2x Scottish League Cup winner with Celtic FC. He also played 75 games for England. He decided to say goodbye to the beautiful game following the completion of the 2023-24 season. 

7. Ryan Bertrand

Ryan Bertrand is probably the most transferred football player on this list. He had several loan spells during his tenure with Chelsea. But when he got to play for the Premier League side, Bertrand proved his worth by playing a crucial role in Chelsea’s Champions League win. 

Bertrand played for English clubs all his life. He was loaned out to Oldham Athletic, Norwich, Reading, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa. He left Chelsea for Southampton in 2015 and later played for Leicester City as well. He remained club-less for a year before announcing his retirement from professional football in June 2024. 

Also Read: Who Are Chelsea’s Biggest Rivals: From Manchester United to Leeds United

6. Wojciech Szczesny

Wojciech Szczesny is a former Arsenal goalkeeper. He was named the Polish Football Player of the Year in 2022. He was also the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Season with Juventus FC in 2019/20. Szczesny is a three-time Italian champion, two-time FA Cup winner, and three-time Italian Cup winner. 

Szczesny played for Poland’s senior team in 88 games. He also played 252 games for Juventus and kept a clean sheet in 103 games. At Arsenal, he managed 72 clean sheets in 181 games. In his career, he also played for AS Roma and Brentford. 

Wojciech Szczesny announced his retirement from professional football in August 2024 at 34. However, a month later, he came out of retirement and signed with Spanish giants FC Barcelona following Ter Stegen’s injury.

5. Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane is another Real Madrid star who hung his boots this year. Although he wasn’t currently playing for Real Madrid, he probably took inspiration from his former teammate Toni Kroos. The French football player even went one step ahead, calling it a day at just 31 after suffering a knee injury.

In 14 years, Varane played as a centre-back for Lens, Como, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. He won the FIFA World Cup with his national team and also got his hands on four each of the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.

The retirement didn’t come as a surprise for many since the right-footed football player once rejected Real Madrid just because he wanted to focus on his studies. 

4. Thiago Alcantara

Thiago Alcantara played for some of the biggest clubs in European football. He began his career with Barcelona and won one UEFA Champions League and four back-to-back Spanish league titles. He then moved to Bayern Munich and won seven consecutive Bundesliga titles.

After winning 11 league titles in a row, Alcantara’s streak came to an end when he joined Liverpool. He also played 46 games for Spain, finding the net twice. The Spanish midfielder won 32 trophies in his senior career. 

Thiago became another star football player to bid football farewell in July 2024. He joined Barcelona’s coaching staff under Hansi Flick for a while. 

3. Leonardo Bonucci

Bonucci is another legendary football player who graced the football pitch for the last time in 2024. The former Juventus centre-back is currently an assistant manager of Italy’s U20 side. He earned 121 caps for his nation and scored eight goals. Bonucci won 20 trophies in his career, including one European Championship with Italy. 

Bonucci played for Italian clubs for a major part of his career. He debuted with Inter Milan, where he was loaned to a couple of clubs. Later, he joined Genoa and Bari. Leonardo played his first game for Juventus in 2010. He went on to join his first club’s rivals, AC Milan, in 2017. Bonucci returned to Juventus in 2018. After some short spells at Union Berlin and Fenerbahce, Leonardo Bonucci announced his retirement in July 2024. 

2. Pepe

Pepe is an absolute legend of the game. His longevity puts him on the same table as the elites of the game. The Portuguese centre-back was a nightmare for attackers during his peak years. It didn’t get better for goal scorers even when Pepe hit his late thirties. He stayed the same, a force to reckon with.

Pepe made 141 appearances for Portugal and netted eight goals. He began his club career with Maritimo and played for FC Porto, Real Madrid, Besiktas, and FC Porto, as well. He played 737 games at club level, scoring 42 goals and assisting 36 times.

Pepe won one Euro, one Nations League, and three Champions League among the 34 titles he won in his career. Pepe announced his retirement at 41 following Portugal’s exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

1. Toni Kroos

The German Sniper is the first and most surprising football player on the list. The former Real Madrid midfielder retired from professional football in July, days after Germany crashed out of the Euro 2024 at the hands of Spain. 

In his 17-year career, Kroos won 34 major titles. He played for top-flight clubs, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid. Kroos is a FIFA World Cup winner and one of the very few players to have won the prestigious UEFA Champions League six times. 

At 34, fans feel that Kroos had a lot of football left in him. His absence on the field is pretty visible in every Real Madrid game. At club level,  Toni Kroos played 754 games and scored 73 goals while providing 166 assists. He donned the German colors in 114 games and bagged 17 goals.

Also Read: Ranking the fastest hat trick in Champions League History- 2024

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