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Lionel Messi (35) - Argentina
The 35-year-old Paris Saint Germain man has already declared that his fifth FIFA World Cup will also be his last in a recent interview, bringing his phenomenal legacy at the tournament to an end.
Debuting at the tournament in 2006 as a 19-year-old, Messi scored his first World Cup goal in a 6-0 drubbing of Serbia and Montenegro in the group stage. However, he memorably failed to find the net at South Africa 2010 despite the Argentinians making it to the quarter-finals.
He more than made up for his previous lack of goals at the 2010 finals, registering four at Brazil 2014 which included a screamer against Nigeria in the group stage. This was en route to securing the tournament's best player award following his side's agonising loss to Germany in extra-time of the final.
The former FC Barcelona player found the net against Nigeria once again in 2018, slotting home the opening goal in their final group match, albeit coming amid the South American's premature exit from the tournament in the Round of 16 to eventual winners France.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner will look to go one better than in 2014 and end his glistening World Cup career on a high note in Qatar.
Cristiano Ronaldo (37) - Portugal
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's recent troubles at Manchester United will likely go down as a footnote in a highly decorated club and international career for the 37-year-old, which currently includes seven league titles across three different leagues with the Red Devils, Real Madrid and Juventus respectively, as well as claiming the UEFA Euro 2016 title with Portugal.
Also debuting at the tournament in 2006, Ronaldo has had a similar run to Messi on the world stage, netting only one goal at each of the 2006, 2010 and 2014 finals.
However, the nation's all-time leading goalscorer eclipsed all his previous efforts at the tournament in 2018, when he headed home the only goal of the match against Morocco and bagged a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Spain in the group stage, which included a spectacular trademark free-kick from long-range.
With his recent lack of game time at United casting a shadow of doubt over his aspirations for Qatar 2022, CR7 will still look to make his presence felt in some capacity in what will likely be his final ever appearance at the tournament.
Robert Lewandowski (34) - Poland
The Polish national team's all-time leading goalscorer and appearance holder is yet to score at the World Cup, despite his 76 goals scored across 134 appearances for the Eagles.
The recent arrival at FC Barcelona missed out on both the 2010 and 2014 tournaments due to Poland's respective qualification failures, before finally getting a chance on the world stage in 2018.
Despite coming off a 41-goal 2017-18 season across all competitions with Bayern Munich, the Polish talisman failed to find the net in Russia, as the European outfit bowed out of the tournament bottom of Group H with only one win and two goals to their name.
The 34-year-old will look to finally get on the score sheet in what will potentially be his final World Cup appearance in 2022, but will first have to break through the stubborn defences of heavyweights Argentina and Mexico, as well as potential stumbling block Saudi Arabia.
Karim Benzema (34) - France
At 34 years of age, the Ballon d’Or winner looks poised to make a big statement at what could be his final World Cup, off the back of an extraordinary 44-goal 2021-22 season across all competitions with Real Madrid.
Having been embroiled in two separate sex-related scandals in 2010 and 2015 respectively, Benzema missed out on both the tournament in South Africa and in Russia 2018, although his squad exclusion from the former was cited by Raymond Domenech as a result of his form rather than the alleged incident.
Having served a six-year ban from international football for the latter, Benzema was recalled to the French squad ahead of the 2020 Euros.
The talisman will look to put both his past and the French national team's multiple ongoing controversies behind him in Qatar and arrest the form of his three-goal showing from his only World Cup appearance at Brazil 2014.
Luis Suarez (35) and Edinson Cavani (35) - Uruguay
One of the most polarising figures in world football, Suarez's remarkable achievements on the world stage have been arguably overshadowed by two of the most notorious incidents ever to occur at the FIFA World Cup.
Upon netting three times at South Africa 2010, behind teammate and golden ball-winner Diego Forlan's five, Suarez was memorably sent off for Uruguay in extra-time of their quarter-final win against Ghana for a handball, which denied Stephen Appiah's shot on the goal-line and led to Asamoah Gyan's subsequent penalty miss.
Repeating his 2010 goalscoring efforts at Brazil 2014, which included a brace against England, Suarez was handed a four-month ban from all forms of football by FIFA after he was shown to bite Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during the group stage. Scoring twice in 2018, the striker was accused of diving in Uruguay's group stage encounter with Portugal.
Suarez's teammate and 58-time goalscorer for Uruguay, Edinson Cavani, netted both goals in that 2-1 win over Portugal and once more at the 2018 tournament against host nation Russia, following on from his previous single-goal showings at the 2010 and 2014 finals.
Now with Uruguyan first division side Nacional and La Liga's Valencia respectively, Suarez and Cavani will look to cap off their illustrious international careers in what will likely be their final World Cup in 2022.
Luka Modric (37) - Croatia
At 33 years old, most would have expected the 2018 finals to be Modric's final showing at a World Cup, making it all the more unlikely that many would have foreseen the extraordinary heights that the Croatian's career would reach after the tournament.
Making his World Cup debut at Germany 2006, where he came on as a substitute against Japan, and in the 2-2 draw which sent Australia through to the Round of 16, Modric missed out on the 2010 finals in Croatia's only World Cup qualification failure to date.
Upon the European side's return to the tournament in 2014, Modric sustained a foot injury in their opening match loss to host nation Brazil, before crashing out in the group stage with a 3-1 loss to Mexico.
At Russia 2018, Modric provided two assists for the Croatians and scored two goals, including a 25-yard stunner against Argentina, as well as taking home the golden ball for best player at the tournament despite their 4-2 loss to France in the final.
Having won a third consecutive UEFA Champions League title with Real Madrid in the same year, Modric won the 2018 Ballon d'Or, and has continued his unprecedented form for a player of his age in subsequent seasons for club and country.
Manuel Neuer (36) and Thomas Muller (33) - Germany
Two 2014 World Cup winners will partake in their fourth and potentially, final tournament on the world stage in Qatar, with both being previously bestowed two of the highest honours on offer at the tournament.
Becoming Germany's first-choice keeper ahead of the 2010 finals, Neuer conceded only one goal in the group stage but was later the goalkeeper in question over Frank Lampard's infamous disallowed goal in the Round of 16, en route to the German's third-placed finish in South Africa.
Muller, meanwhile, was awarded the best young player's trophy as well as joint-winner of the golden boot after an extraordinary break-out tournament, which produced five goals for the then-20-year-old.
The Bayern Munich attacker added five more to his World Cup tally in 2014, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Portugal and the opener in their coveted 7-1 drubbing of host nation Brazil, while Neuer took home the golden glove after their victory over Argentina in the final after conceding just four goals throughout the entire tournament.
Muller failed to fire and Neuer let in four goals in the group stage alone at Russia 2018, as Germany continued the winner's curse of the finals by finishing bottom of the group. Both will look to avoid a repeat occurrence for Germany at Qatar 2022.
Dani Alves (39) and Thiago Silva (38) - Brazil
Since both being named in the Brazil World Cup squad for the first time in 2010, Dani Alves and Thiago Silva's illustrious international careers are almost certain to come to an end at the culmination of the 2022 finals.
Alves appeared off the bench twice in Brazil's first two group matches at South Africa 2010. The Barcelona man earned a starting position at the 2014 finals, only to be dropped in favour of 2010 starter Maicon by the quarter-finals due to poor form.
Meanwhile, Silva was an unused substitute in Brazil's 2010 World Cup campaign where they reached the quarter-finals, but attained the captain's armband at the 2014 finals for the host nation.
The defender's performances were key to Brazil's group stage success as they conceded just two goals, before Silva went on to assist David Luiz in the Round of 16 and score himself against Colombia in the quarter-finals. In the latter match, however, Silva was shown a second yellow card which led to his unavailability for the semi-finals, with his absence noted as a key factor in Brazil's infamous 7-1 defeat to Germany.
Alves went unused in 2018 while Silva scored once en route to the Selectico's quarter-final finish. Both will face tough competition once again for a starting position in Qatar.
Eden Hazard (31) - Belgium
The youngest player on this list, Hazard's seemingly inevitable retirement from international football is due in part to a horror run of injuries since his arrival at Real Madrid.
Following Belgium's absence from the 2010 finals, Hazard made his much anticipated World Cup debut at Brazil 2014, where he provided two assists en route to the Red Devils' quarter-final finish.
Being appointed captain ahead of the 2018 tournament, Hazard thrived under the high expectations of the Belgian team as he went on to provide one assist and score three goals. The winger was voted man of the match on three occasions as the Belgian's secured third place, their best ever finish at a World Cup.
Hazard's unfortunate run of injuries and selection troubles in Spain, which included being an unused substitute for their Champions League final victory in May, has seen his contributions at Los Blancos watered down to 48 league appearances across his first three seasons and only three in the current season.
Hugo Lloris (35) and Olivier Giroud (36) - France
Giroud's stellar club form with AC Milan and captain Lloris' recent return from injury at Tottenham Hotspur are two of the few positives to come out of the French camp ahead of Qatar 2022.
Lloris started all three matches in France's disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign, which saw them finish bottom of the group, before donning the captain's armband at Brazil 2014 when he conceded just two goals in the group stage, as Les Bleus bowed out 1-0 in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Germany.
At his first World Cup in 2014, Giroud scored once at the tournament in a 5-2 victory over Switzerland. Although he failed to find the net at the next World Cup, Giroud started all seven matches and was noted as a key contributor in creating chances for fellow attackers Antoine Greizmann and Kylian Mbappe. Lloris also shone at Russia 2018, which included a stunning clean-sheet performance against Uruguay in the quarter-finals, en route to lifting the trophy at tournament's end.
With Lloris' recent return at club level and the injury of fellow French goalkeeper Mike Maingan, as well as Giroud's reported mid-2021 feud with Mbappe being defused, both veterans are likely to find plentiful game time once again at the World Cup finals in 2022.
Sergio Busquets (34) - Spain
The Barcelona legend has seen a mix of Spanish results at his three World Cup finals. The holding midfielder started every match at South Africa 2010, with his passing efficiency noted as a key factor in the strength of the Spanish midfield, en route to their maiden victory in the final over European rivals the Netherlands.
The 2014 finals saw La Roja continue the winner's curse of the tournament, carried over from Italy's 2006 success and subsequent group stage exit in 2010, when they bowed out after shock consecutive losses to the Netherlands and Chile, ending 5-1 and 2-0 respectively.
The one-club player also took part in the Russia 2018 campaign, which saw the Spaniards impressively beat out Portugal to the top spot in Group B but fall to the host nation in the round of 16 via penalties.
While the 34-year-old has remained a constant starter at both club and international level throughout his entire 14-year-long senior career, it is unlikely that Busquets' run at the World Cup finals will last beyond Qatar 2022 as he approaches his mid-30s.
Angel di Maria (34) - Argentina
While currently battling a hamstring injury sustained during Juventus' shock 2-0 defeat to Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Champions League earlier this month, di Maria will be itching to get back to full fitness in time for the late November start of the Qatar-hosted tournament in what will likely be his last on the world stage.
Although the attacking midfielder failed to score at his debut World Cup in 2010, he netted the crucial winner in extra-time against Switzerland in the round of 16 at Brazil 2014, where the Argentinians finished runners-up. However, shortly after assisting Gonazlo Higuain in their quarter-final against Belgium, di Maria was subbed off for a thigh injury whereby he would miss the remainder of the tournament.
Playing for Paris Saint-Germain at the time, di Maria would feature once again at Russia 2018. Fresh off a 21-goal season for the French giants, the player scored an incredible long-range goal against eventual tournament winners France in the round of 16, which ultimately ended in a thrilling 4-3 scoreline.
The 34-year-old will look to reign victorious alongside confirmed international retiree Lionel Messi at his fourth World Cup in Qatar.
Pepe (39) - Portugal
The oldest player on the list bar Brazil's Dani Alves, also 39, appeared twice for Portugal at his maiden World Cup in South Africa, before making his mark on the tournament during its next instalment for all the wrong reasons.
In Portugal's opening match of the 2014 finals, Pepe was sent off for a headbutt on Germany's Thomas Muller in the 37th minute. With the scoreline 1-0 at the time of the incident, the German attacker went on to complete a hat-trick as the Portuguese succumbed to a crushing 4-0 defeat.
Pepe returned for his side's consolation victory in their final group match at Brazil 2014, before being on both sides of controversy at the 2018 finals. In Portugal's tournament opener against Spain, the defender collided with Diego Costa before the Spaniard went on score, with the decision of no foul being controversially upheld by VAR.
In their second match against Morocco, Pepe was accused of diving after being tapped on the back by Medhi Benatia. Despite garnering wide criticism for the incident, he found the net in Portugal's 2-1 defeat against Uruguay in the round of 16, becoming the nation's oldest ever scorer at the World Cup finals.
With Pepe approaching his mid-40s by the time the 2026 tournament rolls around, it is likely that this will be his and compatriot Ronaldo's last hurrah at the World Cup finals.
