From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo chasing final glory to Craig Gordon, pictured, making history with Scotland, we look at seven veterans playing their last World Cup. Photo: AFP
The 2026 Fifa World Cup is anticipated to be the final global tournament for some of the game's greatest players, who will be eager to claim nothing less than the winners' medal as their swansong.
With the tournament being played under an expanded 48-team format for the first time, resulting in 104 matches, many veterans will arrive in North America eager to bag the gold medal. Here, Independent Media focuses on seven of them.
Messi will compete in what is set to be his record-equalling sixth World Cup. As the most decorated player in football, he arrives eager to lead Argentina to a successful title defence before calling time on his career.
Ronaldo is set to appear in his sixth and final (probably) World Cup, chasing the only major trophy that has eluded him. Already on the other side of 40, the Portuguese captain is determined to close his illustrious career by being crowned a world champion.
