Neymar Weeps, Ronaldo Says Goodbye — and Messi Still Dreams of One More
The 2026 World Cup is drawing the curtain on a generation: Neymar, CR7 and Modric are gone. Messi and Kane still have one last shot at history.
An entire generation is saying goodbye — and the 2026 World Cup will be remembered as much for its farewells as for its champions.
Neymar wept. Cristiano Ronaldo wept. Modric walked off with his head down. Ochoa was given a standing ovation as he took the field. James Rodríguez, Van Dijk, Muslera, Neuer — one by one, the giants departed. According to ge, these stars have played their final part in the world's greatest football competition, closing an era that spanned decades.
But not everyone has left just yet.
Lionel Messi is still alive in the tournament with Argentina. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku are still fighting for Belgium. And Harry Kane carries the weight of a nation that hasn't lifted the trophy since 1966. The 32-year-old Englishman was blunt about it: "This is probably the best opportunity I will have in my entire career to win the World Cup," Kane said. "You never know what can happen with injuries."
Golmetria's model places Argentina as the side with the highest probability of winning the title among those who still have legends on the pitch — 22.3%. England come in at 10.9%. For anyone hoping to see Messi or Kane lift the trophy, the path is there. But it is far from easy.
And Brazil? Already out of contention, the Seleção watched Neymar bring his cycle to an end in tears, consoled by Viní Jr and Raphinha. The No. 10's exit opens the door for a new generation — Endrick, Lamine Yamal, Désiré Doué — who now have the World Cup as their stage to introduce themselves to the world.
Football changes. Icons move on. But as long as Messi is still on the pitch, the World Cup still has one epic chapter left to write.