5 world-class football players who retired early

#3 Marco van Basten - 31 years

van Basten retired due to an ankle injury

Yet another tragically impaled footballer, van Basten was one of the most fierce strikers of his generation as his tenure with both Ajax and AC Milan earned him more than 300 goals in his career. The 3 time Ballon d'Or winner was known for his aerial abilities, his ability to score from any position and the fact that his leadership qualities were quite unparalleled.

However, van Basten was struck with a career-threatening ankle injury at the age of 28, something he ignored for a while. But by the time he was 31, the injury grew into a tragedy, and the Dutch legend was forced to retire.