With World Cup less than a month, leading teams such as Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, and England have revealed their 23-man squad.
Some of the team are making their debut in the World Cup whereas some of them are professionals as well. Here’s a quick look at the players who will be having their last appearance in the World Cup 2018, Russia.
Rafael Marquez, 39
Not enough words to describe the Mexican player, Rafael Márquez Álvarez as he has scored the equalizer in the opening game of South Africa 2010. He captains both Mexican club Atlas and the Mexican national team.
Nicknamed El Káiser, Marquez made his World Cup debut on June 3, 2002, in Mexico’s match against Croatia. He has made 16 World Cup appearances in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. He is widely regarded as the best defender in Mexico's history and one of the best Mexican players of all time.
Having retired from club football in April, the 39-year-old midfielder will be having his final appearance at World Cup 2018.
Andres Iniesta, 34
Most talented Spanish player of all-time, Andres Iniesta plays as a central midfielder for the Spain national squad.
Iniesta was a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 World Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, for which he was named the Man of the Match.
He made his World Cup debut on June 23, 2006, in Spain’s game against Saudi Arabia. He has appeared in 2006, 2010, and 2014 editions of World Cup making 10 appearances so far.
Best known for his playing skills, great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness, he is rightly regarded as a player who could turn the game into an interpretive art performance.
He played his last match with Barcelona in a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad on May 21, 2018, at the Nou Camp and will surely be making his last appearance in World Cup 2018.
Tim Cahill, 38
The only consistent figure across Australia’s modern World Cup era, Cahill wasted little time in making himself a hero, earning them their first ever win at the global finals with a late brace against Japan in their first game of Germany 2006.
Tim Cahill plays as an attacking midfielder for club Millwall and the Australian national team. He is the first Australian scorer to score at FIFA World Cup. He is Australia’s highest goal scorer of all-time with 50 goals.
He made his debut on June 12, 2006, in Australia’s game against Japan making 3-1 victory. He has made 6 World Cup appearances and has played in 2006, 2010, and 2014.
Javier Mascherano, 33
One of the most intelligent players, Javier Mascherano has made over 140 appearances for the Argentina national team, making him the second-most capped player in the nation's history, after Javier Zanetti.
Best known for his versatility and tactical intelligence, he is a professional footballer with an excellent ability to read the game and organize his team.
He debuted in World Cup on June 10, 2006, in Argentina’s match against Cote d’Ivoire that ended with Argentina’s 2-1 victory.
He has shown his performances in 2006, 2010, and 2014 editions of World Cup making 16 appearances to date.
However, Mascherano will be playing his last match with Argentina in Russia 2018.
