Top 5 legends who could retire in 2018 

This is the saddest part of football. The players that we grew up watching—the ones who actually made us fall in love with the game—will one day have to succumb to the fangs of time. Football, you see, isn’t really a long-term profession.

A player only has about, at max, 20 years to leave his mark on the game. In that time, he/she makes a lot of fans—a lot of people whose hearts they will break at some point in their life. This is the hardest part of being a football fan.

After a lot of legends bid adieu to the game in 2017, there could be some more who would do the same this year—Victor Valdes has done it already—and here are 5 of them (the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Ronaldinho and Didier Drogba have been ignored since they already announced their retirements last year itself)…

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#5 Iker Casillas

While some might not believe that this could happen this year, I have a hunch that the Spanish legend could call it quits this year—especially if he doesn’t make it to the World Cup in Russia. And the chances of that are highly unlikely.

The legendary goalkeeper has had an illustrious career with Real Madrid. Although his exit from the club wasn’t as graceful as it should have been, it can’t be denied that he made the Blancos his own with some exceptional years of service for the crest.

Casillas has won every trophy there is to win for a footballer player. Be it the World Cup or the Champions League, he has won it all and remains the greatest goalkeeper in the history of Spain and Real Madrid.

At 36, he is in his twilight years and might hang up his boots this year.

#4 Andrea Barzagli

One of the best defenders of his generation

At 36, it is only a matter of time before the Italian gives up on football as a player. The Juventus defender has served the game for a lot of years and might consider a graceful exit from the game while still playing for the club he loves.

Last season, he confessed that he won’t retire just yet because he likes playing the game. However, a year is a long time in football and opinions could change within that time frame. It should also be noted that the centre-back has already retired from international duty.

The legendary defender has won 7 league titles in club football and has also lifted the World Cup in 2006. He is someone who is regularly regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation and also a great mentor, someone who actually played a significant role in transforming Leonardo Bonucci from an error-prone defender to the world class player that he is today.

A coaching role surely beckons, then.

#3 Xavi

Xavi's last Champions League

Here is a spoiler, this and the next two players are Barcelona legends—and you might have already guessed who they could be. The legendary Spanish midfielder is now in the retirement zone as he is 37 and plays for Al Sadd in Qatar.

The midfield maestro was the brain behind Spain’s and Barcelona’s domination in the world of football for a span of four years. That was the time when he was at his brilliant best and no-one else seemed to be able to set the tempo of the game like he could.

In fact, his ability to make the play from the center and help capitalize spaces allowed his team-mates to become better players. However, his ability was not exclusive to only making his peers better as his boots helped his team win everything there was to conquer.

Like Casillas, Xavi has won it all and will retire as a legend who is unparalleled in his own right.

#2 Samuel Eto’o

He could have been a Real Madrid legend

When you read the Wikipedia page of Samuel Eto’o, the one line that stands out is that he is “the most decorated African player of all time.” And it is as close to the truth as it could be. The Cameroonian was a part of two legendary club teams and has a unique record to his name.

He won the treble with Barcelona in 2009 and then went on to repeat the same with Inter in 2010. The most interesting bit was that it was under two contrasting coaches—in terms of playing style—Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho.

It just works as a testament to his ability to adapt to various situations. He is a winner and has won everything there is to win at club level. He might not have won the World Cup with his country, but he is a two-time African Cup of Nations winner.

And now, at 37 and playing for Antalyaspor in Turkey, he might finally call it quits this year.

#1 Andres Iniesta

Perhaps the greatest midfielder of his generaton

I admit, the chances of this happening are very slim since he is only 33 and has more to offer to the game. However, the rationale behind his inclusion is that he has never played for any other club apart from Barcelona and might just decide to not play for some other club, either.

With the relentless pursuit of Philippe Coutinho, one has to assume that the Brazilian will end up playing for the Catalans somewhere down the line. As a result, Andres Iniesta, who is been on the decline for a while now, will fall further down the pecking order.

For a football player, playing the game is what gets him out of bed every day—and if Iniesta can’t do that, he might consider retiring after the conclusion of the World Cup. And he has won everything a player would like to win, just like Casillas and Xavi, giving him all the more reasons to quit rather than play on.