Why early retirement might be a good option for footballers

Footballers and most athletes, in general, have relatively short careers when compared to other professions. If the average person starts working a job at the age of 18, they can expect to work for nearly 40 years before considering retirement.

Footballers, however, do not share this luxury. Most footballers hit the peak of their abilities in their late 20s and start to decline around their mid-30s. Thus, retiring at about 36 years of age is considered normal. However, many players throughout history have opted to retire earlier in their careers. As the game of football develops, this might be a trend that we see more of in the near future.

Zinedine Zidane is considered to be one of the finest footballers to ever grace the beautiful game. Despite having a decorated career, Zidane announced his retirement in 2006 at the age of 34, with his last ever game being the infamous 2006 World Cup final.

When talking about his retirement, Zidane cited his "poor form", saying "I didn't want to go on for another year. The past two years I haven't been on top form and that's no good when you play at a club like Real." Despite his claims, it can be argued that Zidane was in fine form, contributing 9 goals and 12 assists from midfield in his final season at Madrid. So, why did Zidane retire at 34? 

At the end of the day, any footballer's choices come down to how they feel about their own body, fitness, and ability. Despite not facing a clear decline in form, Zidane felt that he was no longer capable of performing at the level that he wanted. Naturally, he decided to end his career on his own terms. Today he is hailed as a legend of the sport.

On the other hand, the concept of retirement seems to be a foreign one to fellow Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo. At the age of 38, the Portuguese star seems to show no signs of slowing down. Despite being considered one of the best players of all time, it is hard to deny that Ronaldo's reputation has taken somewhat of a hit in recent years. His last year at Juventus and short-lived return to Manchester United were largely unsuccessful and have not helped his status in the world of football. Thus, it could be argued that an early retirement, similar to that of Zidane could have been beneficial to the star.

If Cristiano had retired in 2018 at the age of 33, after lifting his fifth Champions League with Real Madrid, his legacy as a footballer would have been looked at much more favourably in retrospect. Except for a few Serie A titles with Juventus, Ronaldo has failed to win a trophy worthwhile since leaving Real Madrid and is now playing for Al Nassr.

With rumours of Toni Kroos considering retirement at the age of 33, and still playing at a high level for Real Madrid, it may be a sign that more footballers should be open to the option of early retirement. After all, retiring on your own terms and at the top of your game isn't really as bad as it sounds.

Juhayer Khan is probably watching YouTube compilations of Paul Pogba. Send help at zuhayerkhan24@gmail.com