Several prominent players retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including Hugo Lloris, Karim Benzema, Sergio Busquets, and Raphaël Varane. Gareth Bale retired from all football, while Eden Hazard later ended his playing career too.
The phrase “this World Cup” depends on which tournament you mean, so the timeline matters. This article identifies the players who stepped away after Qatar 2022, explains the difference between leaving a national team and retiring from football entirely, and clears up a few common mistaken assumptions.
which football players are retiring after this world cup
If you mean the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, several well-known players announced international retirement in the months that followed. The clearest examples include France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, France forward Karim Benzema, Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets, Spain defender Jordi Alba, and France defender Raphaël Varane.
Wales captain Gareth Bale went further: in January 2023, he announced that he was retiring from professional football altogether. Eden Hazard announced his international retirement shortly after the tournament, then retired from club football in October 2023.
These are different kinds of retirement. Some players quit representing their countries but continued playing for clubs. Others left professional football completely. The distinction is important when interpreting headlines about a player “retiring after the World Cup.”
Players who announced retirement after Qatar 2022
| Player | National team | What they retired from | Timing | Best description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo Lloris | France | International football | January 2023 | Ended his France career; continued at club level |
| Karim Benzema | France | International football | December 2022 | Retired from France duty; kept playing professionally |
| Sergio Busquets | Spain | International football | December 2022 | Left Spain’s national team; continued at club level |
| Jordi Alba | Spain | International football | August 2023 | Ended his Spain career after the tournament |
| Raphaël Varane | France | International football | February 2023 | Retired from France duty; club career continued |
| Eden Hazard | Belgium | International football, then all professional football | December 2022; October 2023 | Retired from the national team first, then the sport |
| Gareth Bale | Wales | All professional football | January 2023 | Retired from both club and international football |
The table separates confirmed announcements from predictions. A player being older, injured, or left out of a later squad does not by itself mean that player has retired.
What each player announced
Hugo Lloris and Karim Benzema
France captain Hugo Lloris announced his international retirement in January 2023. His decision ended a long national-team career and left France looking for a new first-choice goalkeeper and captain. It did not mean he had stopped playing professionally; he continued his club career after leaving the national side.
Karim Benzema announced his retirement from France duty in December 2022, shortly after the World Cup final. He had been selected for France’s tournament squad but withdrew before the team played its opening match because of injury. That means he is often included in lists of players associated with Qatar 2022, but he did not appear in a match at the tournament.
Benzema’s announcement concerned international football, not an immediate end to his club career. Be careful with articles that call him “retired” without saying which level of the game they mean.
Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba
Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets announced his international retirement in December 2022. He had been a central figure for Spain across several major tournaments, including the team’s 2010 World Cup-winning campaign. After leaving the national team, he continued playing club football.
Jordi Alba announced his retirement from Spain in August 2023. His announcement came months after Qatar, rather than immediately after Spain’s elimination. That delay is one reason a simple “retired after the World Cup” label can hide the actual timeline.
Busquets and Alba later played together at Inter Miami. Their club careers show why “retired from Spain” should not be read as “retired from football.”
Raphaël Varane, Eden Hazard, and Gareth Bale
France defender Raphaël Varane announced his international retirement in February 2023. He said goodbye to the national team while still continuing his professional club career. His choice reflected a decision to stop playing for France, not a general retirement from the sport.
Belgium’s Eden Hazard retired from international football in December 2022 after Belgium’s group-stage exit. He later announced his retirement from professional football in October 2023. His career therefore involved two separate announcements, not one single retirement after the tournament.
Gareth Bale announced his retirement from both club and international football in January 2023. He had captained Wales at Qatar 2022, which made his decision especially significant for the national team. Of the prominent names on this list, Bale is the clearest example of a player ending his playing career altogether immediately after the tournament.
International retirement is not the same as retiring from football
In football reporting, “retirement” can refer to at least three different things: leaving a national team, ending a club career, or stopping professional football entirely. A player can retire from international duty and still compete for a club for several more seasons.
- International retirement: The player no longer represents their country, but may continue at club level.
- Club retirement: The player stops playing for a club, but might remain available for international selection, depending on the circumstances.
- Full professional retirement: The player ends their career as a professional footballer.
There is also a difference between retiring and being unavailable. Injury, a break from the national team, a coach’s selection decision, or a contract dispute is not the same as a public retirement announcement. To classify a player accurately, look for a clear statement from the player or their representative.
One practical detail that often gets missed: an announcement’s date can be much later than the tournament that prompted it. Alba announced his decision months after Qatar, and Hazard made a separate full-retirement announcement later still. Use the announcement date, not just the World Cup exit date, when you are checking a player’s status.
Players who did not retire after the 2022 World Cup
Some famous players were widely discussed as possible international retirees because of their age, the emotional weight of the tournament, or the possibility that it was their last World Cup. That is not proof they retired. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modrić all continued to play international football after Qatar 2022.
Messi continued with Argentina after winning the tournament, including in later major international competition. Ronaldo remained part of Portugal’s national-team plans after the World Cup. Modrić also continued to represent Croatia. Their appearances after Qatar are a useful reminder that a player’s last World Cup is not necessarily their last international match.
Likewise, a comment that a tournament might be a player’s last World Cup is not a retirement announcement. It may mean the player expects to be too old for the next edition, but only a clear decision to stop representing the country confirms international retirement.
How to tell whether a retirement report is confirmed
Before treating a headline as fact, check what the player actually said and when. A short verification routine can prevent common mix-ups:
- Identify the level. Does the report say international football, club football, or the entire professional game?
- Look for a direct announcement. A statement from the player or national association is stronger evidence than a prediction based on age or performance.
- Check the date. Confirm whether the player announced the decision immediately after the World Cup or months later.
- Check what happened afterward. Later national-team appearances can disprove a claim that a player retired from international football.
- Separate squad membership from match appearances. A player may have been selected for a tournament but withdrawn before playing, as Benzema did in Qatar.
This last distinction is useful when comparing lists. Some articles use “World Cup players” to mean anyone named in a squad; others mean only players who took the field. Those definitions produce different lists, especially when injuries affect a team before or during the competition.
If you mean the 2026 World Cup
If “this World Cup” means the 2026 tournament rather than Qatar 2022, the answer should be based on announcements made for that specific event. A player cannot be called a confirmed retiree simply because commentators expect the tournament to be their last. Retirement news can also change during or after the competition.
For a reliable 2026 list, separate players who have explicitly announced an intention to stop playing internationally from those who may simply be nearing the end of their careers. Then check whether their statement refers to the national team or to professional football altogether. Without that distinction, a speculative list can easily present rumors as fact.
The clearest confirmed post-Qatar cases are therefore Lloris, Benzema, Busquets, Alba, Varane, Hazard, and Bale, with different meanings and timelines. The first five retired from international football; Hazard later retired from the sport; Bale retired from professional football after the tournament.
After the 2022 World Cup, Lloris, Benzema, Busquets, Alba, Varane, and Hazard retired from international football, while Bale ended his professional playing career. Hazard later made a separate announcement retiring from all professional football.
For an accurate answer to which football players are retiring after this world cup, check the tournament year and the wording of each player’s announcement. Treat “last World Cup” predictions as speculation until the player confirms a retirement, and distinguish leaving a national team from quitting football entirely.