Top 20+ football stars who retired too early

What might have been

This list celebrates 20 outstanding players whose early exits left a lasting sense of what might have been.

20. Enock Mwepu

The Brighton midfielder was forced to retire at just 24 in October 2022 after being diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition, as reported by TNT Sports. Mwepu had established himself as a key player for both club and country, helping Zambia qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and showing immense promise in the Premier League following his move from Salzburg. His technical ability and work rate suggested he could have developed into one of Africa's finest midfielders.

18. Hidetoshi Nakata

The Japanese playmaker shocked the football world by retiring at 29 in 2006, walking away from the game at the peak of his powers. He told TMW Magazine that he was no longer enjoying the game and wanted to see what was happening in the world. Nakata had become Asia's first global football superstar, starring for Perugia, Roma, and Bolton while featuring for Japan at three World Cups (1998, 2002 and 2006). His technical brilliance and leadership could have seen him play for several more years at the highest level.

17. Sebastian Deisler

A combination of serious injuries and mental health struggles forced Deisler to retire at just 27 in 2007, cutting short one of Germany's most promising careers. He had decided, as These Football Times puts it, that "he was simply not built for life as a professional footballer". The attacking midfielder was set to be a cornerstone of Germany's golden generation, having already won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and earned 36 caps for Germany.

16. Adriano

The Brazilian striker effectively retired from top-level football at 27, struggling with depression and personal issues that derailed a once-glittering career. According to Sportskeeda, Adriano had become an alcoholic after the death of his father. He had been devastating for Inter Milan and Brazil, combining raw power with clinical finishing to terrorise defences across Europe. At his peak, many considered him the world's most complete striker and heir to Ronaldo Nazário, making his early decline all the more poignant.

15. Jack Wilshere

A succession of ankle injuries forced Wilshere to retire at just 30 in 2022, ending a career that had promised so much more. With his extraordinary technical ability and vision, the midfielder burst onto the scene as a teenager at Arsenal. His early performances suggested he could dominate for club and country for a decade, but persistent injuries meant he managed just 34 caps across 12 years (per Transfermarkt).

14. Pierluigi Casiraghi

Casiraghi's promising career was ended by a horrific cruciate ligament injury suffered just after joining Chelsea in 1998, forcing him to retire at 28. As reported by the Guardian, despite going through ten operations, he was unable to make a comeback, and his contract with the club was terminated in July 2000. Prior to that, the Italian striker had been a key player for Lazio and the national team, helping Italy reach the 1994 World Cup final. His move to Chelsea was meant to be the next step in establishing himself among Europe's elite strikers.

13. Daniel Sturridge

Persistent injury problems forced Sturridge into effective retirement from top-level football at 32, though he officially hung up his boots in 2023. The striker's career was a constant battle against his own body, with hamstring and hip issues preventing him from building on his devastating 2013-14 season with Liverpool (scoring 22 goals and registering seven assists, per Transfermarkt). With his pace, movement and clinical finishing, he ought to have been England's leading striker for years.

12. Patrick Kluivert

The Dutch striker retired at 32 in 2008, earlier than many expected given his goalscoring pedigree and experience. Kluivert had been a key figure for Ajax, Barcelona, and the Netherlands, scoring crucial goals in Champions League and international finals. However, his physical decline came quicker than anticipated, robbing football of a striker who still possessed elite intelligence and finishing ability.

10. Brian Laudrup

Laudrup had been instrumental in Denmark's Euro 1992 triumph and starred for clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich, Fiorentina, AC Milan, Rangers and Chelsea, terrorising defences with his pace, skill, and creativity on the flanks. However, injuries forced him to retire in 2000, aged 31, while he was still capable of producing moments of magic.

9. Thiago Alcântara

Persistent hip problems led to Thiago's retirement at the age of 33 in July 2024, cutting short a career defined by technical excellence. The Spaniard had graced the midfields of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, showcasing a passing range and ball control that few could match. Despite a lack of pace, his football intelligence and ability to dictate tempo suggested he could have played at the highest level for several more years.

8. Sergio Agüero

A heart condition discovered in late 2021 forced Agüero to retire at 33, ending the career of one of the Premier League's greatest-ever goalscorers. The Argentinian had just joined Barcelona and was looking to add to his legacy after a decade of brilliance at Manchester City. He still had a few years left in the tank, and sadly, he missed out on his country's World Cup win.

7. Eric Cantona

Cantona shocked the football world by retiring at 30 in 1997, leaving Manchester United at the peak of his powers. The enigmatic Frenchman had transformed United's fortunes, leading Alex Ferguson's side to four Premier League titles in five seasons, with his charisma and clutch performances. At the time, there was nothing to suggest that he couldn't have continued to dominate English football for several more seasons.

6. Just Fontaine

The France legend retired at just 28 in 1962 after a series of leg fractures ended his career prematurely. Fontaine had already etched his name into World Cup folklore by scoring 13 goals at the 1958 tournament, a record that stands to this day. His incredible goalscoring rate of nearly a goal per game for club and country suggested that he would probably have gone on to become one of football's all-time great marksmen.

5. Toni Kroos

Following Euro 2024, the German midfielder announced his retirement aged 34, walking away from football at the peak of his powers. Kroos had just completed another stellar season with Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and demonstrating the passing mastery that defined his career. His ability to control games from deep and deliver under pressure meant he could have continued at the highest level for several more years.

4. Michel Platini

A niggling ankle problem and mental scarring from the Heysel Stadium disaster forced Platini to retire in 1987, at the age of 32, depriving football of one of its greatest creative forces. The French playmaker had dominated European football in the mid-1980s, winning three consecutive Ballon d'Ors and leading France to victory in the 1984 European Championship. He almost certainly had years of brilliance left to offer.

3. Zinedine Zidane

Zidane's decision to retire at 34 following the 2006 World Cup final remains one of football's great what-ifs. The French maestro had announced before the tournament that it would be his last, despite still performing at an elite level for Real Madrid and France. His performances throughout that World Cup, including crucial goals and moments of magic, proved he remained one of the world's finest players.

A terrible ending

The manner of Zidane's exit (sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final) overshadowed what could have been a fairytale ending. Having successfully adapted his game to suit his advancing years, plus a good injury record, he could have continued gracing the biggest stages for several more years. France's subsequent struggles at major tournaments highlighted just how much they missed his experience.

2. Marco van Basten

Van Basten's combination of technical brilliance, aerial ability and clinical finishing made him virtually unstoppable when fit. However, an ankle injury forced him to retire at just 31 in 1995, cutting short one of the most devastating goalscoring careers in football history. The Dutch striker had won three Ballon d'Or awards and scored some of the most spectacular goals ever witnessed, including his iconic volley in the Euro 1988 final.

Two agonising years

Van Basten had hoped to represent his country at the 1994 World Cup, but injury kept him out of the game for nearly two full seasons. In the end, he was forced to concede defeat, and his early retirement robbed football of what could have been five more years of brilliance. His intelligence and adaptability suggested he had the tools to evolve his game even as his pace faded. Watching one of the sport’s greatest talents unable to play without pain remains one of football’s cruellest injustices.

Nomadic career

Best's natural ability was so extraordinary that even in decline, he could produce moments of pure magic that left opponents and spectators stunned. His pace, balance, two-footed ability and fearless approach to taking on defenders made him virtually unplayable at his peak. Had he maintained his discipline and focus, Best could have dominated football throughout the 1970s and potentially become the greatest player of all time. Instead, he spent nine years drifting between lower-league English clubs and sides in Ireland, Australia, and the United States.