Ranking 10 stars who could be at their last World Cup

With the knockout stages under way, here's my top 10 players who could be appearing at their last World Cup.

Let me know if you agree by ranking them yourself at the bottom of the list.

It speaks volumes of the man that Messi is that he did not step away from international football in 2022 after winning the World Cup at the age of 35.

Now 39, Messi is obliterating record after record at this tournament. No player has scored more goals in World Cup history than Messi's 19, to go with eight assists.

He has now scored in seven consecutive World Cup games.

In 2014, he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player when Argentina lost in the final to Germany. He won it again in 2022, leading his country to their first World Cup title since 1986.

This is his sixth time playing at the World Cup, with his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo the only other outfield player to do so. Messi's next game will be his 30th for Argentina at a World Cup, in a career spanning more than 200 international caps.

It will feel odd at the 2030 World Cup when, in all likelihood, he will not be playing.

On Saturday, Modric, at the age of 40 years and 291 days, became the oldest player to record a World Cup assist.

"He plays as if he were 20 years old. He was incredible. He's our leader and our best player," said Petar Sucic, his Croatia team-mate.

And you only have to look at how Croatia have fared in the past two World Cups to get an understanding of his legacy.

In 2018, Croatia stunned everyone to reach the final, where they lost to France, and last time around, they came third - with Modric's display across 120 minutes as a 37-year-old against Brazil in the quarter-final, a clear standout. For a nation of just under four million people, Croatia's recent World Cup runs are nothing short of remarkable.

Only five players have made more than Modric's 22 appearances across five World Cups. He made bow in 2006 and he is another player to have played more than 200 times for his country.

The World Cup remains the one major trophy that has eluded Ronaldo.

No player has more international caps (231) or goals (145) than the 41-year-old, who made his Portugal debut in 2003.

In 2016, he led his country to success at the European Championships but this is his sixth time at the World Cup and he is yet to better the run to the last four in his first appearance in 2006.

Nevertheless, a record of 10 goals in 25 World Cup appearances is impressive and so is him becoming the only man to score at six World Cups - even if Portugal's emphasis to play around him is a constant talking point.

Ronaldo knows this is probably his last chance of winning the World Cup. "I'm back," he said, after scoring twice against Uzbekistan last week. Back, but for how long?

It would be easy to judge Neuer on his performances in recent weeks, which have been far from convincing, but there is a reason why Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann asked him to come out of international retirement.

The Bayern Munich keeper is one of the greatest of all time. Neuer, 40, won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and the Golden Glove that summer. This is now his fifth World Cup and in that time, he has played for his country 23 times at the finals, since making his bow in 2010.

A forgettable tournament this time round with Germany exiting in the last 32 may well tarnish Neuer's World Cup legacy but he will forever be remembered as a World Cup winner in 2014.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Neymar at a World Cup is Brazil's campaign at home in 2014. The then 22-year-old took on the weight of a nation scoring four goals in five games, before his tournament came to a crushing end, when he broke a bone in his back during the quarter-final.

Brazil were then mauled 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals. In 2018 and 2022, he scored twice in each of the tournaments, with Brazil exiting at the quarter-final stage.

At 34, and against the odds given his injury problems since 2022, the chance remains to win a World Cup for his country and the tears that flowed from Neymar after his return for Brazil against Scotland spoke volumes.

He may no longer be the main man but the boyhood dream is still a possibility for a player with eight goals and four assists in 14 World Cup games.

De Bruyne was part of Belgium's Golden Generation that never truly delivered. A quarter-final exit in 2014 was followed by a semi-final defeat in 2018 before Belgium were knocked out of the group stage in 2022.

Rudi Garcia's side take on Egypt in the last 32, knowing that a potential tie against the United States awaits.

Now 35, De Bruyne is playing in his fourth World Cup and has scored in three of those, with four assists, in 16 appearances.

It might come as a surprise that Van Dijk has only featured eight times for his country at a World Cup but the Netherlands did not qualify the 2018 tournament - the year when he moved to Liverpool.

The Dutch were impressive in 2022, where they were knocked out on penalties by eventual winners Argentina in the quarter-finals. And in the space of three games this year, they had already scored as many goals as they did in five games in Qatar - although they had also conceded the same amount as in 2022 too.

Van Dijk, the Netherlands skipper, opened his tournament with a goal but it ended with a penalty shootout defeat by Morocco in the last 32.

At the age of 34 will this be Van Dijk's last World Cup appearance?

When Egypt beat New Zealand to all but secure their place in the last 32, it was their first World Cup win since 1934 and Salah was integral to it with a second-half goal and assist.

This is the 34-year-old's second time at the finals, with Egypt previously qualifying in 2018, to end a 38-year drought, before missing out in 2022.

In Russia, a far-from-fit Salah scored twice but his nation lost all three of their group games. His overall World Cup tally is three goals and two assists in five games.

Salah's Egypt face Australia on Friday for a place in the last 16 that could see the him come up against Messi.

No South Korean player has scored more goals than Son (three) at World Cups or played more World Cup matches (13) than the 33-year-old. But this World Cup is already over for his country.

The former Spurs player may get another go in four years time but he is no longer the force he once was, as shown by his group-stage displays, where he failed to score or get an assist. Son was dropped from the starting XI for the final group game.

The South Korea captain has played in four World Cups and his highlight remains 2018, where he scored against Mexico and Germany but he and his countrymen have failed to come close to the standard set by the 2002 team that reached the semi-final on home soil.

Before 2018, Senegal's solitary appearance at the World Cup was in 2002. With Mane they have qualified for the past three World Cups.

The 34-year-old scored his only World Cup goal so far in 2018 but a knee injury kept him out of the 2022 tournament, when Senegal were eliminated in the last 16.

That was after he scored the winning penalty against Egypt in a play-off to help his country qualify for the tournament in Qatar.

Like Salah, it would be a stretch to see the former Liverpool player at the 2030 tournament. Senegal take on Belgium on Wednesday for a place in the last 16.