The competitive nature of the list means some names failed to make the cut so honourable mentions goes out to the likes of Peter Crouch, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Tim Howard, Philippe Senderos, Andrea Barzagli, Shaun Wright-Philips, John O’shea and Glen Johnson.
Xavi
The former Barcelona and Spain great, who won the FIFA World Cup, two European Championships, eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, announced his retirement in May after turning out for Qatari side Al Sadd, where he is currently the manager.
Petr Cech
The former Czech Republic shot stopper, who was easily recognised in his trademark protective head gear, put away his gloves after the Europa League final defeat to former club Chelsea while turning out for Arsenal. He has since begun a career in Ice Hockey, signing for English National Hockey League side, Guildford Phoenix, and is Chelsea’s current technical advisor.
Samuel Eto’o
The four-time African footballer of the year last turned out for Qatar SC and bowed out of the game at the age of 38. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Everton were some of the clubs he represented in his illustrious career. Eto’o won the Champions League three times before retiring.
Fernando Torres
The former Spain, Liverpool and Chelsea striker announced his retirement from football at the age of 35 with Japanese side Sagan Tosu. ‘El Nino’ as he was affectionately called was one of the most feared strikers in his prime and he counts the FIFA World Cup and two European championships among his numerous achievements in the game.
David Villa
Another Spanish World Cup winner who called time on his career this year, David Villa saw and won it all in the game. Villa is Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer with 59 goals from 98 games and won league titles with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid as well as the UEFA Champions League with the Blaugrana in 2011, where he scored in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in the final.
Dimitar Berbatov
Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov officially announced his retirement from football in September more than 18 months after his last professional game. A natural goalscorer, Berbatov’s 20 league goals in the 2010/2011 season whiles at Manchester United was enough to earn him the Golden Boot award. Tottenham Hotspurs, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Monaco and Fulham were some of the Bulgarian’s former clubs.
Diego Forlan
The 40-year-old finally retired in August and was recently named manager of Uruguayan side Penarol. Forlan enjoyed a glittering career in Europe, turning out for the likes of Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan. Forlan played 112 times for the Uruguay national team, scoring 36 goals and was named as the best player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Patrice Evra
Evra is widely recognised as one of the greatest left backs in Premier League history, cementing legendary status at Manchester United, where he played for eight-and-a-half seasons. Evra won five Premier League titles at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, and also added the 2008 UEFA Champions League to his impressive trophy haul at the club. The former France international won 81 caps for his country.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
The former captain of the German national team and Bayern Munich announced his decision to retire from football at the age of 35 in October. Schweinsteiger spent majority of his career at Bayern Munich, where he won eight Bundesliga titles as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2013. He made his debut for the German national team in 2004 and went on to make 121 appearances for the Die Mannschaft, winning the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
Arjen Robben
Another Bayern Munich legend, Robben won eight Bundesliga titles as well as numerous domestic cups and he also scored the winning goal in the Bavarians’ 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. The former Netherlands, Chelsea and Real Madrid winger made 606 career appearances and scored 210 goals.
