Is this the last we will see of Cristiano Ronaldo? (Picture: Getty)
Euro 2024 could well be the final swansong for a number of big name players this summer.
The sight of football icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric playing on the major international stage for potentially one last time will be a sight to savour for football fans.
But whilst it would be wrong to write off some of the finest talents the European game has ever seen, it’s safe to say a number of high-profile stars will not make it to the 2026 World Cup in two year’s time.
Metro.co.uk takes a look at six footballers who may be set for one final act at this summer’s tournament, which gets underway in Germany on June 14.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Euro 2024 is surely the final time we see Ronaldo on the major international stage, with the 39 year-old looking to add a second European Championship to his enviable trophy collection having tasted success at Euro 2016.
Ronaldo remains an important player for Portugal (Picture: Getty)
Despite plying his trade in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo will still likely lead the line for Roberto Martinez’s men in Germany, where he will hope to add to his record-breaking 128 international goals since making his debut in 2003.
Ronaldo, who holds the record for the most Euro appearances (25) and goals (14), will feature at his 11th major international tournament for Portugal.
Luka Modric
The Croatian midfield maestro will be playing in his ninth international tournament for his country.
Modric, 38, has come close to adding international silverware to his vast array of club honours, finished second and third at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively as well as finishing as a runner-up in the Nations League 2022/23.
Whilst he may no longer be an automatic first choice for Real Madrid, then is no doubting the fact that he remains the key man for Croatia.
Robert Lewandowski
Whilst the 35 year-old almost certainly has plenty of goals still left in him, Euro 2024 could well be Lewandowski’s last outing at a major competition should Poland fail to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Lewandowski is Poland’s all-time top goalscorer (Picture: Getty)
The Barcelona striker is Poland’s record goalscorer with 82 goals, putting him fourth on the all-time list for goals scored in men’s European international football.
Lewandowski has managed four goals in his eight Euro appearances to date, and will be looking to go past the quarter-final stage of any competition for the first time ever with Poland.
Manuel Neuer
Having returned from a broken leg earlier in the season, the veteran goalkeeper will once again be the number one between the sticks for Germany ahead of Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Neuer, 38, will contest his eighth major tournament with Germany having amassed 117 caps since his debut in 2009, including their victorious World Cup campaign in 2014.
Winning Euro 2024 on home soil would be a fairytale ending to his international career, with the Henri Delaunay Cup the only major trophy he is yet to get his hands on.
Olivier Giroud
The former Chelsea and Arsenal man, 37, is France’s top goalscorer of all-time with 57 goals and he started every game of the World Cup 2018 despite infamously not finding the back of the net.
Giroud could feature for France one final time (Picture: Getty)
Giroud scored three goals for Les Blues in Euro 2016 before they were beaten by Portugal in the final in Paris, but he was unable to add to his Euro tally last time around.
Giroud is expected to join MLS side Los Angeles FC from AC Milan this summer, which will almost certainly bring the curtain down on his international career.
Thomas Muller
Muller remains a crucial presence for Bayern Munich and Germany, with whom he has scored 45 goals in 128 appearances.
The 34 year-old was told that he would not be considered for selection, alongside Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, by Joachim Low in 2019, only for the then-manager to reverse his decision in time for Euro 2020.
Muller is the most decorated German footballer in history, with the Euros the one glaring omission from his trophy cabinet.