Continuing with our series of the most significant retirements of 2016, here’s a quick look at three great soccer players that decided to call it quits in 2016
Miroslav Klose
The all-time leading scorer in World Cup history retired at 38, in November after winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and having scored 16 goals in four different World Cups. During his career at the club level he scored 213 goals in 529 games, while he scored 71 goals in 137 games with the German national team. In the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he scored five goals and won the Golden Shoe award given to the top scorer of the tournament.
He participated in the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups and in all of them, the German squad he was part of reached at least the semifinals.
He won six titles with Bayern Munich between 2006 and 2010, including two Bundesligas, and won the Italian Cup with Lazio, team where he spent the final five seasons of his career.
His individual awards include being named the German Footballer of the year in 2006 and selected to the All-Star teams of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. The only achievement his resume is missing is a UEFA Champions League victory, although he did play in one in 2010, which ended as an 0-2 loss to Italian club Inter Milan.
Robert Pires
He was the only player still active from the 1998 French national squad that won the FIFA World Cup held in their home country. At 42, Pires announced this year on February 25 that he was retiring from soccer for good. The Frenchman debuted in France’s Ligue 1 with F.C Metz in 1992.
Pires had his best years as footballer while playing for Arsenal in the Premier League between 2002 and 2006. There he formed a lethal attack for the London side with Dennis Bergkamp and compatriot Thierry Henry and combined to win two Premier Leagues (2002 and 2003), three F.A Cups (2002, 2003, 2005) and two Community Shields (2002 and 2004).
In 2006, he arrived to Spanish Club Villareal, where he managed to win, along with striker Juan Roman Riquelme and under Coach Manuel Pellegrini, a historic second place finish in La Liga in 2008.
Steven Gerrard
On November 24, a British soccer legend hung up his cleats. After many rumors and endless speculation, Steven Gerrard announced his retirement. He spent most of his career with Liverpool where he spent his best years and accomplishedd his biggest achievements. He’s fourth in the all-time list of players with the most caps for England’s national football team (114 games) and a legend at Anfield Road where he played 710 games.
With Liverpool he won the 2005 UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, two F.A Cups, three Football League Cups and one Community Shield.
Among his individual awards Gerrard counts the 2005 Ballon d’Or Bronze award in 2005, the UEFA Footballer of the Year in 2005, England Player of the Year in 2007 and 2012, and his selection as the UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match in 2005.
