Fernando Gago and Javier Mascherano hang up their boots. Both have announced in recent days in a surprising way that they are retiring and thus join the group that already includes five other Argentine soccer players who were runners-up in the world in Brazil 2014.
Seven of the 23 runners-up have retired and another 16 are still active, although only one of them is under 31: Marcos Rojo, who started in the 1-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup final.
MARTIN DEMICHELIS, THE PIONEER (2017)
The central defender, a starter since the quarterfinals (inclusive), was not in the 2015 Copa América and retired in May 2017 at the age of 36, thus becoming the first runner-up in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to stop competing professionally.
His last team was Málaga and now he manages the Bayern Munich sub’19.
EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI, WITHOUT PLAYING IN ROSARIO CENTRAL (2019)
The attacker retired in December 2019 at the age of 34 after spending several months off the pitch due to a knee injury.
The fans (and directors) of Rosario Central dreamed that he would retire at the club because he is a fan. Some even still do not rule out that ‘el Pocho’ will return to activity with the jersey of the Rosario team.
At Brazil 2014 he started on the bench but then earned a place in the starting eleven.
His last team was the Chinese Hebei Fortune.
HUGO CAMPAGNARO, THE MOST VETERAN (2020)
He started in the first match, the 2-1 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the change of system (from five defenders to four) relegated him to the bench.
He retired in August 2020 at the age of 40 in the Italian Pescara jersey.
JOSÉ MARÍA BASANTA, STARTER IN THE QUARTER-FINALS (2020)
Basanta, who had played a few minutes in the round of 16 against Switzerland (1-0), was the starting left back in the quarters against Belgium (1-0) because Marcos Rojo was suspended.
The defender retired in September of this year at the age of 36 and his last team was the Mexican Rayados de Monterrey.
PABLO ZABALETA, THE UNDISPUTED HEADLINE (2020)
In October this year, Pablo Zabaleta, the starting right back in every match at Brazil 2014, announced his retirement at the age of 35.
His last team was the English West Ham. He stopped wearing the Argentine national team shirt in 2016 after being runner-up in the 2015 Copa América de Chile.
FERNANDO GAGO, THE RESILIENT (2020)
The midfielder started three matches at Brazil 2014 and came on in the second half in the final against Germany.
In the last five years he has ruptured his left Achilles tendon twice, his right once, and suffered two cruciate ligament ruptures, one in his right knee and the other in his left.
In 2018, he published the story “Resilience” in the book “Paper Ball 2”, in which he recounts his efforts to recover and be able to retire on the court.
On November 10 of this year, he announced, at 34 years old, that he was leaving football, after playing the last few months with the Vélez Sarsfield shirt.
JAVIER MASCHERANO, THE HISTORICAL (2020)
The ‘Jefecito’ was a starter in all the matches and one of the figures in the semifinal against the Netherlands. He is the player who wore the Argentine jersey the most times, with 147 games played.
On November 15 of this year, he surprisingly announced that he was retiring, at the age of 36. At the time of the announcement, he was a player for Estudiantes de La Plata.
THOSE WHO STILL PLAY
Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (33 years old, Manchester United), Agustín Orión (39, free) and Mariano Andújar (37, Estudiantes).
Defenders: Ezequiel Garay (34, free), Marcos Rojo (30, Manchester United) and Federico Fernández (31, Newcastle).
Midfielders: Lucas Biglia (34, Fatih Karagümrük), Ángel Di María (32, Paris Saint Germain), Enzo Pérez (34, River Plate), Augusto Fernández (34, Cádiz) and Ricardo Álvarez (32, Vélez Sarsfield).
Forwards: Gonzalo Higuaín (32, Inter Miami), Lionel Messi (33, Barcelona), Maximiliano Rodríguez (39, Newell’s), Rodrigo Palacio (38, Bologna) and Sergio Agüero (32, Manchester City).
“AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW, WE WILL ALL BE HAPPY”
Messi fired Gago and Mascherano with a heartfelt text that he posted on his Instagram account on Monday.
The ‘Little Chief’ and former albiceleste captain replied: “As long as you continue, we will all be happy.” EFE. (JL).