There will be no bow on football’s greatest stage for one of history’s great goalscorers. We’re about to find out how his career winds down
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hile soccer’s calendar offers few moments of respite, the World Cup doubles as a time for referendums on the legacies of great players. Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo approach this summer’s tournament expecting it to be their final turn on their sport’s biggest stage. Kevin De Bruyne and Casemiro could clarify their complicated international careers in North America; Neymar may not get the same chance.
Missing a sendoff like this may be a bit more relatable to the life that we mortals endure. Indeed, there’s no crueler way for an international career to end than tripping at the final hurdle of World Cup qualification.
The United States’ failure to get a draw against Trinidad and Tobago in 2017 doubled as the final international match for three of the program’s best players: DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard. So painful was the sight of Gianluigi Buffon’s tear-stained cheeks after Italy’s unexpected flop in 2018 that the Azzurri brought him out of international retirement for one final friendly four months later.
