Top 5 footballers who came out of retirement 

#3 Zinedine Zidane

Under Zidane, Real Madrid won three consecutive Champions League trophies

He came, he saw and he conquered. From his youth career to his final days as a player, whichever dressing room Zinedine Zidane stepped in, was aware of what the auro of greatness was like. When the French maestro joined his first Ligue 1 club, AS Cannes, he took their mediocre mid-table side straight to the fourth position.

After that, he climbed through the ranks from Bordeaux to Juventus and finally to Real Madrid where he fulfilled his dream of winning the Champions League. Zidane's left-footed volley in the 2002 Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen final is still considered one of the tournament's best goals of all time.

The 1998 World Cup is still sometimes called Zidane's World Cup. His display in the tournament was prolific and his brace in the final ensured that France became world champions for the first time.

The French superstar broke the news of his retirement from international football in August 2004. France had a World Cup to qualify for in 2006 and a mass retirement of seniors like Lilian Thuram, Claude Makele and Zidane himself only made the task Herculean.

Upon his coach Raymond Domenech's request, Zidane came out of retirement to lead his side to another World Cup final in 2006. For his final act on the biggest stage, the France captain headbutted Italy's Marco Materazzi as was sent off in a losing cause.

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#2 Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff helped Ajax to three successive European Cup triumphs between 1971 and 1973.

Johan Cruyff is one of the most prominent figures in football, not just for his heroics and sublimity on the field, but also for his part in developing football and making it a spectacle to watch. Cruyff was the manifestation of a supremely skilled and multi-purpose footballer.

The Dutchman was a sensation in the 1970s when Ajax won three consecutive Eurpoean Cups in 1971, 1972 and 1973. There was never a lapse in judgment, it was as if Cruyff had all the time up his sleeve when he never really needed any.

Cruyff announced his shock retirement in 1977 just before the 1978 World Cup, which was a big blow to the Dutch. Later in 1978, the talisman announced retirement from all forms of football. He lost all his money in futile investments after his retirement and due to the financial need, he had to come back and play again.

The Dutch maestro then signed with the Los Angeles Aztecs and played in the United States from 1978-1981. Cruyff realized that his talent was far from over and his engine was still up and running. He moved from the US to Spain where he had a brief spell with Levante.

After two more years of football in his homeland with Ajax, the Dutch legend said his final goodbyes to the game as a player in 1984 by joining Ajax's rivals Feyenoord. He helped them win the League and the League Cup that year.

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#1 Lionel Messi

Messi scored his first goal for PSG in the Champions League game against Manchester City

For many of his worshippers, Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time in football. But even for someone of his stature, not all has been hunky-dory at all times in his career. Especially when it came to his national side Argentina.

Messi first made his debut for Barcelona in 2003, in a friendly against Porto. Since then he has climbed to the summit of greatness in football, pulling some of the most unbelievable skills, dribbling past players with his feather feat and scoring stunners in a routine manner.

But while he enjoyed the time of his life with Barcelona, winning La Liga titles and Champions League trophies, Messi was unable to help Argentina win the Copa America.

Twice Argentina reached the finals of the coveted South American tournament and were second best both times to familiar opponents Chile. In 2016, it all boiled down to a penalty shootout which Chile won 4-2, with Messi himself missing from the spot.

The Argentina superstar was devastated and after losing four finals with the national team, the then 29 year-old declared that he wouldn't wear the La Albiceleste jersey again. However, in the same year Messi was called for Argentina's World Cup 2018 Qualifiers and he reversed his decision.

If it wasn't for that day, Messi wouldn't have realized his dream of winning the Copa America in 2021. Would Argentina have won it without him?