2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026. Defending champion captain. Probably his last.
LAST DANCE · VETERANS BACK FOR WC 2026
10 legendsAvg age 364+ WCs each
The returning legends
Ten veterans returning for their 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th World Cup. Messi captaining defending champions Argentina at 39. Modrić at 40 for Croatia. Müller back. Salah back. Their hook, their stat, their final dance.
QUICK ANSWER
The biggest returning legends at the 2026 World Cup: Lionel Messi (6th WC, age 39), Luka Modrić (5th, 40), Manuel Neuer (5th, 40), Thomas Müller (5th, 37), Antoine Griezmann (4th, 35). All face this almost-certainly being their last tournament.
2006 with the famous Croatian generation. 2018 final. 2022 semi-final. Final dance.
Egypt back at the WC after missing 2022. Salah's second tournament after 2018 was a fitness disaster.
England No.1 across three WCs. The most-trusted player in the squad pre-tournament.
2014, 2018 (winner), 2022 (finalist), 2026. France's creative compass through four cycles.
Germany's long-running No.1. 2014 World Cup winner. Fitness-permitting his 5th tournament.
Five tournaments. Multiple Golden Boot finalist. The Raumdeuter goes again.
With Ronaldo (or not), Portugal's creative engine through 2018 / 2022 / 2026.
Anchor of Brazil's midfield since 2014. The veteran experience in a Vinícius-era rebuild.
Senegal's defensive captain. AFCON 2021 winner. Knockout-round experience that matters in 2026.
WC MATCHDAY BRIEF · ONE LIST, TWO SEASONS
Get the World Cup brief in your inbox — plus early FPL 2026/27 picks
Match-by-match predictions, captain picks for World Cup Fantasy, likely scorers, and the first FPL 2026/27 differentials to watch. Same engine that powers our Premier League tools, pointed at the world's biggest pre-season.
Weekly digest
Captain picks, transfer tips & differentials — every week.
One email per gameweek. Unsubscribe any time.
More from World Cup 2026
WC MATCHDAY BRIEF · ONE LIST, TWO SEASONS
Get the World Cup brief in your inbox — plus early FPL 2026/27 picks
Match-by-match predictions, captain picks for World Cup Fantasy, likely scorers, and the first FPL 2026/27 differentials to watch. Same engine that powers our Premier League tools, pointed at the world's biggest pre-season.
Weekly digest
Captain picks, transfer tips & differentials — every week.
One email per gameweek. Unsubscribe any time.
SAME ENGINE · POINTED AT FPL
Tracking the World Cup? Use the same engine for FPL 2026/27.
v5 depth-2 GBT stacker · 51k+ OOS predictions · MAE 1.92. Captain picks, MILP squad optimiser, AI Coach, set-piece intel — the production Premier League tools.