Retirement is often seen as the final chapter in a player’s career, but for some of the game’s biggest stars, came out of retirement. Whether driven by unfinished business, a sense of duty to their country, an emotional comeback, or a special occasion, these legends returned to the field after announcing their retirement. Their comebacks gave fans unforgettable moments and proved that sometimes, football’s greatest stories begin after the final goodbye.
Let’s take a look at this story and find out about some of the most famous football stars who came out of retirement to play again.
1. Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann thought his playing days were over after retiring from football. But in 2011, Arsenal found themselves in a goalkeeping crisis after a series of injuries. Wojciech Szczęsny’s injury was one of the reasons the club asked the veteran goalkeeper to return.
At first, Lehmann was expected to be only a backup. However, things changed quickly when more goalkeepers picked up injuries. Even Manuel Almunia got injured during the warm-up before a Premier League match against Blackpool. That unexpected setback meant Lehmann had to start the game at 41 years of age. It was a surprising return and showed that experience can still be valuable when a team needs it the most.
2. Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff had already retired when he decided to play again. His comeback wasn’t because he missed football, but because of financial problems. After losing a large amount of money in a failed business investment, he returned to the pitch to continue his career.
Cruyff joined the Los Angeles Aztecs in the North American Soccer League and impressed everyone by winning the league’s Player of the Year award. He later returned to Ajax, where he helped the club win two league titles. After Ajax chose not to extend his contract, he made a shock move to rivals Feyenoord. There, he guided the club to the Eredivisie title before finally ending his playing career for good.
3. David Villa
After being away from the Spain national team for almost three years, David Villa earned a surprise recall in 2017 for the World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Liechtenstein. Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer came on as a substitute against Italy, but his comeback didn’t last long.
Villa suffered an injury during the match and never played for Spain again. Even though it was only a brief return, fans were happy to see one of the country’s greatest strikers wear the national team shirt one last time.
4. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi shocked the football world when he announced his retirement from international football after Argentina lost the 2016 Copa América final. It was his fourth major final defeat with the national team, and the disappointment clearly got to him.
The retirement didn’t last long. Fans, teammates and even former players urged Messi to reconsider, and he eventually changed his mind. His return proved to be a huge boost for Argentina, as he scored a brilliant hat-trick against Ecuador to help the team qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Although Argentina couldn’t go far in that tournament, Messi’s decision to come back turned out to be one of the most important moments in the country’s recent football history.
5. Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo announced his retirement from international football after Italy’s disappointing campaign at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But when Antonio Conte took charge of the national team, Pirlo decided to return and help Italy during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
He made four appearances after his comeback, bringing his experience to the squad. However, he was later left out of Italy’s final squad for Euro 2016. Despite that, Pirlo said there were no hard feelings, and he accepted the manager’s decision. His short return still showed how much he wanted to help his country whenever he was needed.
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