Top eight footballers who retired during 2024-25 season; Marcelo, Jonny Evans & more

Real Madrid legend Marcelo bid adieu to football

In a football calendar season that saw some of the most incredible and unbelievable things happen, there have been a few moments that filled our eyes with tears. Most of our childhood heroes, who made us fall in love with this game of football, decided to hang up their boots this season.

From the Real Madrid legend, Marcelo, who played a pivotal role in making Madrid one of the most invincible teams of this generation, to Tottenham’s Belgian duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, who were part of Belgium’s golden generation.

In this feature article, we take a close look at some of the greatest footballers who bid adieu to football in the 2024-25 season.

8. Shaun Williams

The 38-year-old Irish defensive midfielder from Dublin has been an impeccable figure in the English and Irish divisions. A product of the Drogheda United youth academy, the Irish prodigy began his footballing journey with Sporting Fingal in 2009.

However, his breakthrough season arrived when he joined Millwall in 2014 and helped Millwall win the EFL League One Playoffs in 2017. He showed early signs of success when he was adjudged the PFAI Young Player of the Year in 2010. He rendered his service to the national team on a handful of occasions before bringing his stellar footballing career to a close.

7. Carlos Vela

The 36-year-old Mexican winger has plied his trade with some of the finest clubs in Europe, like Arsenal and Real Sociedad, before embarking on a new challenge with Los Angeles FC in 2018. After serving the American outfit for six seasons, he decided to pull the curtains on his footballing odyssey.

He has donned the national team jersey 72 times and also scored 19 goals for Mexico. He was part of the Gunners squad that stood up as the UCL runners-up in 2006. With Mexico, he also won the CONCACAF Cup in 2015.

6. Jonny Evans

The 37-year-old Northern Irish centre back from Belfast saw his life coming full circle after commencing and concluding his football journey with the same team. After serving Man United for almost a decade, he played for teams like Sunderland AFC, West Bromwich and Leicester City until returning to Old Trafford in 2023.

He has one of the rare distinctions of playing for the Irish national team on more than 100 occasions. He was also part of the United squad that won the UEFA Champions League in the 2007-08 season.

5. Felipe Melo

The 41-year-old Brazilian centre back from Barra Mansa has defied age and time. His two-decade-long footballing career saw him play for various top clubs like Juventus, Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Fluimenense and Fiorentina as well.

He won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009 and was also adjudged the Best Defensive Midfielder in Brazil in 2018 after his exemplary performance.

4. Toby Alderweireld

The Belgian centre back has been a crucial figure for Tottenham Hotspur in their recent history. After playing for Atletico, he joined the North London outfit and made 174 appearances for the Lilywhites before moving to Al Duhail and Royal Antwerp in the later stages of his career.

Alderweireld was part of Roberto Martinez’s Belgian side that clinched a bronze medal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup after narrowly missing out on the Finals after a slender defeat to France in the Semis.

3. Simon Kjaer

One of the finest Danish captains, the 36-year-old centre back has made over a century of appearances for the Denmark national team and was also a Ballon d’Or nominee in 2021.

He has featured for clubs like AC Milan, Sevilla, Atalanta and Roma. He won the Italian top division with AC Milan in the 2021-22 season, and for his exemplary performance that season, he was also awarded the Danish Footballer of the Year.

2. Jan Vertonghen

Another Belgian and Tottenham Hotspur legend, Jan Vertonghen, has been one of the best defenders in the world to ever play this beautiful game of football. The world bowed down to his dedication after he returned to play for Spurs in the UCL semi-final clash against Ajax in the second leg, which saw one of the most dramatic comebacks and helped Spurs reach their first ever UCL Finals.

He donned the Belgian jersey 157 times and also helped the Red Devils clinch a bronze medal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. One of the greatest Belgian defenders of all time, his departure would leave a void that would be very difficult to fill.

1. Marcelo

Real Madrid’s left wing-back position was synonymous with Marcelo. Imagining someone other than the Brazilian legend playing at the left-back position for Los Blancos has been a difficult pill to swallow for the Madridistas. Such was Marcelo’s impact on Real Madrid’s success over these years.

After staying loyal to Santiago Bernabeu for almost one and a half decades, Marcelo joined Fluminense in 2023 after a short stint with Olympiacos. One of the very few players to win 5 UCL titles with the same team, Marcelo’s name would forever be embedded in the hearts and souls of every footballing enthusiast.

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