Being a sportsman can be a tough job, and to be a Legendary Sportsman you have to leave your sweat and tears on the field. Sport is one of the few things in this world that resonates with nearly everyone. No matter who you are and where you live. These games of sports have produced some of the biggest names in the world that people love.
They did not just only make themself a legendary athlete with their excellence in their craft in the whole world but also made their nation and people proud of themselves.
But after spending a magnificent time being the absolute best in what they do, their careers are sadly coming to an end. With each day in the calendar passing, their time to say a final goodbye to their beloved sport is getting closer.
Here is our list of a few legendary athletes who will be getting retired in the next few years.
The Legendary sportsman Virat Kohli – Age 35
We will start our list with The Legendary sportsman Virat Kohli who is a right-handed batsman and former captain of the ‘Indian National Cricket Team’. Kohli made his debut for the Indian cricket team in August 2008, during a ODI match against Sri Lanka.
During his time on the Indian cricket team, Kohli was a key player in winning three of the biggest ICC trophies for his country.
Career highlights and awards
- 2011 Cricket World Cup
- 2013 Champions Trophy
- 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
- ICC Test Championship Mace (2017–2019)
- 3x Asia Cup (2010, 2016, 2023)
Kohli plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Delhi in Indian domestic cricket. He holds the record for ‘Most runs in Indian Premier League’ (8,004). Along with this impressive accolade, Kohli also holds the record for the 3 highest runs in T20I, third in ODI, and stands as the fourth-highest in international cricket.
Kohli also holds the record for scoring the most centuries in ODI cricket with 50 and stands second in the list of most international centuries scored just behind the “Little Master” Sachin Tendulkar with 80.
Due to his exceptional records, on-field abilities, and fitness, Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time and the greatest batsman in the modern era.
Kohli has recently called off on his International t-20 career at the age of 35 after winning the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup held in West Indies & The United States of America. This recent T20 format retirement could be an indication of an upcoming full-time retirement for Kohli in the coming years.
The Legendary sportsman Kevin Durant – Age 35
Kevin Durant is a Power forward / small forward NBA professional basketball player. Kevin Durant made his debut for Seattle SuperSonics as the second overall pick of the 2007 NBA draft.
Durant has achieved a ton of milestones in his career including which includes winning three gold medals in the Olympics (2012, 2016, and 2020). He also is the leading scorer in Team USA’s men’s Olympic basketball history.
Talking about Durant’s career points, he averages 27.3 points per game for his career, and his 28,296 career points scored are 11th on the NBA’s all-time list.
Career highlights and awards
- 2x NBA champion (2017, 2018)
- 2x NBA Finals MVP (2017, 2018)
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2014)
- 14x NBA All-Star (2010–2019, 2021–2024)
- 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (2012, 2019)
- 6x All-NBA First Team (2010–2014, 2018)
- 5x All-NBA Second Team (2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (2008)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2008)
- 4x NBA scoring champion (2010–2012, 2014)
- 2x 50–40–90 club (2013, 2023)
If we take Durant’s age into consideration, it might be a few more years for him on the court before he hangs up his boots. While speaking about his desired retirement age Durant says that he wants to play until he’s 40 years old.
Via Bleacher Report
This might be relatively easy if he stays on track to keep him in the NBA through the 2028-29 season.
The Legendary sportsman Stephen Curry – Age 36
Next on our list is The Legendary sportsman Stephen Curry who is an NBA professional basketball player. He made his debut during the 2009 NBA draft. He was selected by the Warriors as the seventh overall draft pick.
Curry plays at the point guard position for the Golden State Warriors. He is well known as the greatest shooter and one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He is also recognized for popularising the three-point shot and inspiring fellow players to try to do it.
Career highlights and awards:
- 4x NBA champion (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022)
- NBA Finals MVP (2022)
- 2x NBA Most Valuable Player (2015, 2016)
- 10x NBA All-Star (2014–2019, 2021–2024)
- NBA All-Star Game MVP (2022)
- 4x All-NBA First Team (2015, 2016, 2019, 2021)
- 4x All-NBA Second Team (2014, 2017, 2022, 2023)
- 2x All-NBA Third Team (2018, 2024)
Curry faced one of those questions when addressing the media at the All-Star game on Feb. 18. He admitted that he does think about retirement. However, he also noted that he has no immediate plans to bow out of the league.
Curry faced a question regarding his retirement earlier this year while addressing the media at the All-Star game on Feb,18.
“I think about it all the time,” Curry said. “But the thoughts stop because you’ve gotta get ready for the next game. There’s a routine and a cycle that goes that you embrace the now. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you will wake up, and whatever your body is telling you, whatever your mind is telling you it’s time. But, I don’t think I’m anywhere close to that.”
Stephen Curry on his retirement plane.
Source: NBA on ESPN via YouTube
The Legendary sportsman Lionel Messi – Age 37
Next on our list is the man who needs no introduction. He captains and plays as a forward in MLS club Inter Miami and the Argentina national football team. This Legendary sportsman his debut at the age of just 16 years as a 75th-minute substitute for FC Barcelona during a friendly against Porto on 16 November 2003.
Messi spent his entire professional career playing for FC Barcelona until 2021 before he eventually left for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. As of now Messi is playing in Inter Miami CF and he plans on retiring from here.
Messi appeared in an interview with ESPN recently and stated Inter Miami CF that would be his last club.
Inter Miami is going to be his “last club” and admitted that “there’s not a lot of time left” in his career.
Source: ESPN
Career highlights and awards:
1X World Cup winner
2022 Argentina
2X Copa América winner
23/24 Argentina
20/21 Argentina
4X Champions League winner
14/15 FC Barcelona
10/11 FC Barcelona
08/09 FC Barcelona
05/06 FC Barcelona
10X LaLiga winner
18/19 FC Barcelona
17/18 FC Barcelona
15/16 FC Barcelona
14/15 FC Barcelona
12/13 FC Barcelona
10/11 FC Barcelona
09/10 FC Barcelona
08/09 FC Barcelona
05/06 FC Barcelona
04/05 FC Barcelona
3X FIFA Club World Cup winner
2016 FC Barcelona
2012 FC Barcelona
2010 FC Barcelona
10X Spanish champion
18/19 FC Barcelona
17/18 FC Barcelona
15/16 FC Barcelona
14/15 FC Barcelona
12/13 FC Barcelona
10/11 FC Barcelona
09/10 FC Barcelona
08/09 FC Barcelona
05/06 FC Barcelona
04/05 FC Barcelona
8X Ballon d’Or Winner
2023, 2021, 2019, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
3X UEFA Best Player in Europe
2015 FC Barcelona
2011 FC Barcelona
2009 FC Barcelona
9X Player of the Year
18/19 FC Barcelona
17/18 FC Barcelona
16/17 FC Barcelona
14/15 FC Barcelona
12/13 FC Barcelona
11/12 FC Barcelona
10/11 FC Barcelona
09/10 FC Barcelona
08/09 FC Barcelona
4X The Best FIFA Men’s Player
2023 Inter Miami CF
2022 Paris Saint-Germain
2019 FC Barcelona
2009 FC Barcelona
Messi who is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, might not have a lot of time left on the field if we consider his age. Messi has also previously stated that he will see if he fits into the Argentina national football team or not by the next FIFA World Cup.
It depends on how I feel and what I feel being alongside my teammates, and seeing if I am still up to the level or not. Let’s see.
Messi on whether he will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The Legendary sportsman Rohit Sharma – Age 37
Rohit Sharma is a right-handed batsman and captain of the ‘Indian National Cricket Team’. Sharma made his debut for the Indian cricket team in June 2007, during a ODI match against Ireland in Belfast.
He is considered to be one of the greatest batsmen of his generation and one of the greatest opening batters of all time. Sharma is well known for his incredible timing, elegance, and six-hitting abilities on the ground.
Career highlights and awards
- 2x ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Winner (2007, 2024)
- ICC Champions Trophy Winner (2013)
- 4x Asia Cup Winner (2010, 2016, 2018, 2023)
Sharma also plays Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic cricket in his home nation respectively. Under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians won 5 IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020, which also makes him one of the most successful captains in the history of IPL.
After winning the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Sharma has officially retired from his International t-20 career at the age of 37. Sharma made his announcement along with Virat Kohli who also took the retirement on the same day.
As of now, Sharma has not retired from ODI and Test Cricket, he says he will be playing it for a while.
The Legendary sportsman Luis Suárez – Age 37
Luis Suárez is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker in MSL club Inter Miami and the Uruguay national football team. Suárez is known as one of the greatest strikers of all time, and he’s also got the nickname “El Pistolero” which means “The Gunman”.
Suárez is highly praised by football fans for his “remarkable technical ability”. He is also famous for nutmegging his opponents. He’s so good with his style that fans often say that “Luis Suárez could nutmeg a mermaid”.
Career highlights and awards
3X Footballer of the Year
2023 Brazil
2014 England
2010 Netherlands
7X Top goalscorer
15/16 LaLiga – 40 Goals
15/16 Copa del Rey – 5 Goals
15/16 FIFA Club World Cup – 5 Goals
13/14 Premier League – 31 Goals
13/14 World Cup qualification South America – 11 Goals
09/10 Eredivisie – 35 Goals
09/10 KNVB Beker – 8 Goals
4X Player of the Year
23/24 Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
13/14 Liverpool FC
09/10 Ajax Amsterdam
09/10 Ajax Amsterdam
1X Copa América winner
10/11 Uruguay
1X Champions League winner
14/15 FC Barcelona
1X FIFA Club World Cup winner
2016 FC Barcelona
5X Spanish champion
20/21 Atlético de Madrid
18/19 FC Barcelona
17/18 FC Barcelona
15/16 FC Barcelona
14/15 FC Barcelona
1X UEFA Supercup winner
15/16 FC Barcelona
4X Spanish Cup winner
17/18 FC Barcelona
16/17 FC Barcelona
15/16 FC Barcelona
14/15 FC Barcelona
2X Spanish Super Cup winner
18/19 FC Barcelona
16/17 FC Barcelona
Suárez has not yet announced anything related to his retirement, but the 37-year-old has confirmed that Inter Miami CF will be his last club.
Inter Miami is the last club of my career. I can’t be more honest. The family already knows it. I don’t know the date yet, but it’s the last step. I am also ready for my last challenge. I must think about having quality of life afterwards. I talk about this and I feel like crying because that’s who I am, but you have to prepare yourself. I remember that a former player told me that the player is never prepared for retirement.
Suarez told Uruguayan radio station “Del Sol” during an interview
The Legendary sportsman Novak Djokovic – Age 37
Novak Djokovic is a professional tennis player from Belgrade, Serbia. He began his professional career in 2003. Djokovic’s interest in tennis developed at a very early age of his life when he was just four years old after his parents gave him a mini-racket and a soft foam ball.
The Legendary sportsman Djokovic has simply been dominating ever since he stepped foot in the Juniors in 2001 to 2003 before starting his pro career. He had a record of 40–11 (and 23–6 in doubles) during his junior years. Djokovic also played at the French Open and US Open junior events in 2003.
He got the opportunity to play his first pro match in a professional tournament, when Nikola Pilić gave him a wildcard to enter a Futures event held in Oberschleißheim in Jan 2003. Unfortunately, Djokovic lost to Alex Rădulescu in two tight sets of “7–5 & 7–6”, but he then eventually went on to win Futures held in Belgrade in June as a wildcard request by Pilić.
After this, Djokovic went on to win his maiden ATP title at the Dutch Open in Amersfoort without losing a single set. This all led to the start of the legendary career of Djokovic, who went on to become one of the biggest tennis players in the world.
Novak Djokovic has not announced anything related to his retirement yet, and he is also fully committed to returning to play at Wimbledon in 2025.
Career highlights and awards
8x ITF World Champion:
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2023
8x ATP Player of the Year:
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023
The Legendary sportsman Luka Modrić – Age 38
Luka Modrić is a professional footballer from Croatia. Currently, he’s playing as a midfielder for and captains both Real Madrid and the Croatia national team.
Modrić mainly plays as a central midfielder both in attacking and defensive formations, he’s also highly regarded as the greatest midfielder of all time and the best footballer to ever come out of Croatia. During his time in Real Madrid, he went on to win a record 26 titles for the club which included UEFA Champions League, Spanish Super Cups, La Liga, and Copa del Rey titles.
Modrić has spent his early life living in a stone house with his grandfather. But his family was forced to leave that area due to the Croatian War of Independence happening in 1991.
The Legendary sportsman Modrić signed a ten-year contract during the 2005-06 season of the “Dinamo Zagreb” which is a Croatian football league and helped buy a flat for his family to live in Zadar.
A few years later in August of 2012, he signed with Real Madrid in a five-year contract for approximately £30 million in transfer fee from Tottenham. Years later he went on to become one of the biggest stars on the planet and one of the most decorated players in the history of Real Madrid including winning the Ballon d’Or and three consecutive Champions League titles for the club.
The Legendary sportsman Modrić has also been an exceptional player for the Croatia national team, where he has played 178 games and scored 26 goals as of now. By showing his unbelievable skills on the field Modrić has also led his national team to a FIFA World Cup Finals in 2018, where he unfortunately lost to Frace, winning the Golden Ball award in the process.
Modrić has not announced anything related to his retirement yet but he appeared in an interview recently, where an Italian journalist paid his tribute to the legend and said:
Italian journalist said to Modrić: “I want you to never retire from your playing career, because you are one of the finest players that I’ve ever commented on.”
Modrić replied to him saying: “Thank you so much for this wonderful tribute. Right from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I’d also like to keep playing forever, but there probably will a time come when I hang up my boots. I’ll keep playing on, I don’t know for how much longer but thank you very much for your words. Thank you.”
Career highlights and awards
1x Winner Ballon d’Or
2018 Croatia
1x The Best FIFA Men’s Player
2018 Real Madrid
1x UEFA Best Player in Europe
2018 Real Madrid
6x Player of the Year
16/17 Croatia
13/14 Croatia
10/11 Croatia
07/08 Croatia
06/07 GNK Dinamo Zagreb
03/04 HSK Zrinjski Mostar
6x Champions League winner
23/24 Real Madrid
21/22 Real Madrid
17/18 Real Madrid
16/17 Real Madrid
15/16 Real Madrid
13/14 Real Madrid
4x FIFA Club World Cup winner
2023 Real Madrid
2019 Real Madrid
2018 Real Madrid
2017 Real Madrid
The Legendary sportsman Rafael Nadal – Age 38
Rafael Nadal is a professional tennis player from Spain. He has been ranked world No.1 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in singles for 209 weeks throughout his career. He also finished as year-end No.1 five times in his career.
During his lustrous career, Nadal has led men’s tennis part of the Big Three along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Legendary sportsman Nadal belongs to a parents hood of business enthusiasts as his father owns an insurance company, along with a glass and window company (Vidres Mallorca), and the restaurant Sa Punta. His mother also once ran her perfume shop but she gave up on it to raise Nadal and his younger sister, María Isabel.
He also belongs to a bloodline of athletes as one of his uncles is a retired professional footballer who then played for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. Another one of his uncles is a Spanish tennis coach named ‘Toni Nadal’ who also once trained him as well.
Nadal played the juniors for 3 years from 1997 to 2000 where he became a Spanish junior champion twice in 1997 and 1998.
Nadal started his pro career in 2001 and won his first major in 2005 at the Qatar Open, alongside Albert Costa when he defeated the team of Andrei Pavel and Mikhail Youzhny in the finals.
Since that Nadal has won 92 ATP singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles. He is also known as “The King of Clay” with a record of (63–9).
The Legendary sportsman Nadal has not yet announced anything regarding his retirement, but he might have given us a hint after losing to Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics:
“I come here, I try my best, I play and when I decide to stop playing or when I decide to keep going, I will let you know.”
Rafael Nadal stated after losing to Novak Djokovic at Paris Olympics
Career highlights and awards
14x French Open titles
2005–08, 2010–14, 2017–20, 2022
2x Wimbledon
2008, 2010
Australian Open
2009, 2022
U.S. Open
2010, 2013, 2017, 2019
2x men’s singles gold medals at the Olympic Games
2008 and 2016
2x Career Grand Slam
The Legendary sportsman LeBron James – Age 39
This next person on our list is someone who needs no introduction, an American professional basketball player star of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA, and perhaps the greatest player in the history of basketball aka “King James”. He is a Small forward/power forward player.
Throughout his career James has competed in 10 NBA Finals and has won four NBA championships, James has also made eight consecutive appearances in the finals from 2011 to 2018.
The Legendary sportsman LeBron James is also a part of the U.S. men’s national team of the Olympics where he has won two gold medals.
While growing up James had to face difficult times, as his father ‘Anthony McClelland’ had a very critical criminal record and was not a part of his life. LeBron was raised by his mother ‘Gloria Marie James’ who often has to change homes, moving from apartment to apartment while struggling to find study work to provide for the family.
Gloria later allowed James to move in with the family of Frank Walker who introduced James to basketball when he was just nine years old.
James started playing basketball in high school before joining the “Cleveland Cavaliers” as a Rookie to start his pro career. Ever since stepping foot in the pro LeBron James has dominated the game and is often compared to Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time.
The Legendary sportsman LeBron James has recently joined the Los Angeles Lakers to play alongside his son Bronny James, making it the first-ever father and son-duo in the NBA.
He has not yet stated when he will be retiring but time might be coming soon.
“Not very long. … I’m not gonna play another 21 years, that’s for damn sure. But not very long. I don’t know when that door will close as far as when I’ll retire. But I don’t have much time left.”
LeBron James
Career highlights and awards:
4x NBA champion
2012, 2013, 2016, 2020
4x NBA Finals MVP
2012, 2013, 2016, 2020
NBA Cup champion & MVP
2023
20x NBA All-Star
2005–2024
13x All-NBA First Team
2006, 2008–2018, 2020
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
2021
Cristiano Ronaldo – Age 39
The Legendary sportsman Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional footballer from Portugal. He plays as a forward, and captains both his Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, and the Portugal national team.
Ronaldo began his pro career by signing with the “Sporting CP” before eventually leaving for Manchester United in 2003. He made a huge name for himself during his time at Manchester United by winning the FA Cup in his very first season.
He followed up on this huge moment of his life by winning three consecutive Premier League titles, and by the age of just 23 years old he has already won the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and his first Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo had a pretty normal family growing up, his father “José Dinis Aveiro” was a municipal gardener and her mother used to work as a cleaning woman and a cook in the hospitality industry. His father also used to be a part-time kit man for football club Andorinha.
Ronaldo is often compared to Messi, although there is not much of a personal beef between the two stars, but they are often seen on the opposite end of the cards throughout their Club career.
The Legendary sportsman Ronaldo who has gained a huge amount of success throughout his club career, left Manchester United in 2009 to join Real Madrid. In my opinion and many of you might agree with me that this was the time of Ronaldo that we all miss, a time when he made himself from a football star into a legend.
During his time in Real Madrid, he won 4 Champions League titles, 3 Club World Cups, a pair of La Liga titles, Copas del Rey, and Spanish Super Cups.
Ronaldo eventually left Real Madrid and joined Juventus in 2018 for €100 million, the highest ever in history for an Italian club. During his time at Juventus, Ronaldo won the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana and 2021 Coppa Italia. He became the first player in the history of football to win every major domestic trophy in England, Spain, and Italy.
The Legendary sportsman Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021 before eventually leaving to join a Saudi Arabian Club “Al Nassr FC” at the end of Dec 2022.
Ronaldo appeared in an interview with Piers Morgan on BeanymanSports and stated that he wants to play 2 or 3 years more maximum by the age of 40. He also stated that its not really sure, he might retire early or play even a bit further.
Cristiano Ronaldo on his retirement plane.
Source: BeanymanSports Via YouTube
Career highlights and awards:
5x Champions League winner
17/18 Real Madrid
16/17 Real Madrid
15/16 Real Madrid
13/14 Real Madrid
07/08 Manchester United
5x Ballon d’Or Winner
2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008
13x Footballer of the Year
2020 Italy
2019 Italy
2018 Portugal
2017 Portugal
2016 Portugal
2015 Portugal
2013 Portugal
2012 Portugal
2011 Portugal
2009 Portugal
2008 England
2007 Portugal
2007 England
4x FIFA Club World Cup winner
2018 Real Madrid
2017 Real Madrid
2015 Real Madrid
2009 Manchester United
3x English Champion
08/09 Manchester United
07/08 Manchester United
06/07 Manchester United
2x Italian Champion
19/20 Juventus FC
18/19 Juventus FC
2x Spanish Champion
16/17 Real Madrid
11/12 Real Madrid
The Legendary sportsman John Cena – Age 47
WWE Superstar John Cena is a Professional Wrestler and an American Actor. The Legendary sportsman Cena made his debut in WWE on an episode of SmackDown on June 27, 2002, when he answered an open challenge from WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle.
2002 – 2004: Who in the hell are you?
The 16-Times WWE World Heavyweight Champion had a quite good start for his career, going one-on-one with the best of the era, but Cena was shortly on the verge of getting released from the company due to budget cuts and lack of in-ring character recognition.
However, during a European tour which was supposedly his last tour with the company, he saw a few WWE superstars sitting in the back of the and freestyling. WWE superstars casually used to do that just to pass the time on long bus rides.
The Legendary sportsman Cena saw an opening for himself, found something that he could, and tried to do it once on a bus and it got the eye of Stephanie McMahon who was apparently also riding along with them. Stephanie then asked Cena to do a small rap for him that very moment and asked him if he could do it on live TV.
That one idea of tweaking the character of Cena was all he needed at that time. Hip-hop culture was red-hot at that time and fans started getting along with Cena dissing his opponents on TV.
This new character of Cena started putting him in the eyes of the viewers and soon he was in the championship picture with The Big Show at WrestleMania 20 for the WWE United States Championship. He won the match, kicking off the Mania that year.
2005 – 2010: Rising to the Mountain Top
Just a few years into his career Cena slowly started becoming the face of the company. At the 2005 Royal Rumble PLE, Cena was the runner of the match with Batista picking up the win after one the biggest botches in the company’s history when both Cena and Batista went over the top rope at the same time, causing the match to restart.
Also became the WWE Champion by defeating John “Bradshaw” Layfield (JBL) at WrestleMania 21. It was at this time when Cena introduced the spinner version of the WWE Championship after JBL took the previous title along with his claiming that he was still the WWE Champion. Cena then also defeated JBL in an “I Quit” match at Judgment Day 2005.
The Legendary sportsman John Cena was later drafted to the RAW brand via “2005 WWE Draft” taking the WWE Championship along with him as the overall 1st pick of the draft. Throughout the year Cena had a significant feud with Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff. Cena also went on to have a match against Chris Jericho at SummerSlam 2005 where he successfully retained his WWE Championship. Cena also had a feud with Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship later that year.
Cena went on to be the WWE Champion until New Year’s Revolution in 2006 where he successfully defended his championship in an Elimination Chamber Match. But lost to Edge who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract right after the match.
The Legendary sportsman John Cena then had his re-match against the Edge at the Royal Rumble 2006 PLE where he became the WWE Champion once again. Cena then competed against Triple H at WrestleMania 22 where he once again retained the Championship.
Cena lost the Championship to RVD at ECW One Night Stand in June 2006. RVD won that match after Edge interfered in the match to cost Cena his championship. But eventually regained it at the Unforgiven 2006 PLE, where he defeated Edge in a TLC Match.
A few months later Cena entered in a feud with Umaga. They both had a match at New Year’s Revolution 2007 PLE where Cena defeated Umaga in the main event for the WWE Championship. Cena also defeated Umaga once in a “Last Man Standing Match” at the Royal Rumble 2007.
A few months later Cena was in the main event of WrestleMania 23 where he defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship. During that year Cena also had a feud with The Great Khali. Cena also became the first person in history to beat the undefeated Khali at the Judgment Day PLE in 2007.
Cena crossed paths with one of his arch-rivals Randy Orton as Randy was named the No:1 contender for Cena’s championship heading into the SummerSlam 2007 PLE. The Legendary sportsman Cena won that match at SummerSlam but then lost a rematch later on the Unforgiven PLE via disqualification.
Just a few days later Cena relinquished the Championship after an injury he sustained in a match against Mr. Kennedy on an Oct 1st episode of RAW.
Cena made his return from the Injury at Royal Rumble 2008 PLE, when he shocked the entire WWE Universe and won the match. Instead of waiting until WrestleMania 24 for his match, Cena called out Orton at the No Way Out 2008 PLE for the WWE Championship which he unfortunately lost.
Cena then got himself back into the Championship picture for WrestleMania 24 when he defeated Orton in a non-title match with Triple H as the special guest referee. Cena, Orton, and Triple H had a triple threat match at WrestleMania 24 which Orton won.
Later that year The Legendary sportsman Cena won the Tag Team Championships along with Batista when they defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase. Cena suffered an injury that year as well.
Cena then returned from that injury at Survivor Series 2008 by defeating Jericho for the WWE World Heavyweight Champions.
Almost a year later at at SummerSlam The Legendary sportsman Cena had a match with Orton which he lost due to Orton’s underhanded tactics. But at Breaking Point 2009 Cena faced Orton in an “I Quit” match, where he won back the championship in one his my favorite performances of his career.
Cena lost the championship to Orton at Hell in a Cell that year but regained the championship once again at the Bragging Rights PLE in a 60-minute “Iron Man” match where anything goes.
This specific era was that time when both Cena and Orton were at the pinnacle of their art and were simply delivering matches and moments that will forever be remembered.
In 2010, Cena had a very heated rivalry with Batista when both of the superstars faced each other at WrestleMania 26 where Cena won the match. Batista then challenged Cena two more times at Extreme Rules 2010 PLE in “Last Man Standing Match” and Over the Limit 2010 PLE in an “I Quit match” where lost both times.
Cena also had a very amazing rivalry against Wade Barrett, after he won the NXT season one and formed his faction known as The Nexus. With Barrett as the leader of the group, they had significant issues with Cena, and one time Cena was also forced to join the group after he lost a match to Barrett at Hell in a Cell (2010) with a stipulation that said: If Cena loses the match, he would join The Nexus but he if he wins The Nexus would disband.
2011 – 2015: Super Cena
After finishing his feud with Nexus, The Legendary sportsman Cena entered the Elimination Chamber match in 2011 where he outlasted 5 other opponents to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 27 for a WWE Championship match against The Miz.
Meanwhile, The Rock who had apparently left the company for a few years now, came back to the WWE as the host of WrestleMania 27. The match between Cena and Miz was locked in the main event of WrestleMania 28 before Cena and The Rock started getting into verbal encounters against each other in the coming weeks. As things started getting hot between the two, Cena delivered an Attitude Adjustment to The Rock after he fended off attacks from the Miz.
The Rock was ready to have none of that and at the main event of WrestleMania 27, he decided to get involved in the match and cost John Cena the match the shot at the WWE Championship.
On the Raw after WrestleMania 28, WWE Universe saw something that had never happened before. Both the Rock and Cena met in the middle of the ring and made their match official, one year in advance at WrestleMania 28.
Cena then defeated The Miz in the coming month to eventually become the WWE Champion, before losing it to CM Punk at Money in the Bank 2011, when Punk left the arena and the company along with the WWE Championship.
The Legendary sportsman Cena then challenged Rey Mysterio to a match on the same night after he had just won the WWE Championship. Cena who that match only to find out that Punk had now returned and claimed to be the real Champion in the company. Both went on the have a Champion Vs Champion match at SummerSlam 2011 which Punk won.
Cena then became the World Heavyweight champion later in the year, before losing it back to Del Rio just 21 days later.
During that year, The Legendary sportsman John Cena also had a tag team match against The Miz and Truth, with his partner The Rock. Yes, Cena and Rock became tag team partners during their rivalry to beat the team of Miz and Truth. The team didn’t last too long as The Rock decided to give Cena a Rock Bottom after the match.
The two then went on to have their scheduled match in the main event of WrestleMania 28. The match was titled “Once in a Lifetime”, only before WWE decided to run it back at the very next WrestleMania.
Cena lost to The Rock, which was one of his biggest defeats so far in his career.
During that year Cena had a match with the returning Brock Lesnar, where he successfully defeated Lesnar and got his confidence back after the biggest loss of his career.
Cena then had a few more feuds that kept him in the picture till the Royal Rumble 2013, where he won the second Rumble match of his career. On the other hand, The Rock also jumped into the championship picture as he defeated CM Punk to win the WWE Championship.
The two went on to face each other one more time in the main event of WrestleMania 29, where The Legendary sportsman John Cena finally defeated The Rock to become the New WWE Champion.
Cena had an amazing run as champion till that year’s SummerSlam before he lost to Daniel Bryan. After that loss, the WWE universe found out that Cena had got injured and he will be out of action for a while.
Cena made his comeback a few months later and won the World Heavyweight Championship. After losing the championship to Orton, Cena began a feud with Bray Waytt that led to a match at WrestleMania 30 which Cena ultimately won.
During that year Cena also had a feud with The Authority, which led to an epic 5 vs 5 elimination match at that year’s Survivor Series which Team Cena won we got the debut of the Sting in WWE.
The Legendary sportsman Cena then began his feud with Rusev, leading to a match at WrestleMania 31 for United States Champion, which Cena won.
It was at that time when we had the infamous “US Open Challenge” which put a spotlight on a lot of up-and-coming talent in WWE.
Cena also had a feud with Seth Rollins when he lost the US Championship to him, and eventually regained it before finally dropping it to returning Alberto Del Rio in an open challenge.
2016 – 2020: Becoming The Legend
By the start of 2016, Cena had already become a 15-time World Heaveywith Champion and he was pursuing his chances of tying the record of Ric Flair one more run. At this point, Cena was already 39 years and as a fan, I could see and say that the prime Cena was getting over in the mix with younger and fresh talent like Reigns and Rollins in the company.
The Legendary sportsman Cena had a rivalry with Aj Styles from 2016 to 2017 where he lost two straight matches in a row to Styles, at Money In The Bank 2016 and SummerSlam 2016. Cena finally got over Styles in record books as he defeated Styles in a WWE Championship match at Royal Rumble 2017. Cena also defeated Style one more time in February 2018 to tie the score with 2-2. Since then both of the superstars have not competed one-on-one against each other.
In 2017 after losing his 17th WWE Championship, Cena had a Mixed tag team match against The Miz and Maryse at WrestleMania 33 with Nikki Bella as her tag team partner. Cena and Bella won that match, and after that, Cena also proposed to Nikki Bella in the middle of the ring.
The Legendary sportsman Cena had one of the most tragic years of his pro career in 2018. Cena tried to win his record 17 World Heaveywith Championship with the odds were clearly not in his favor. Cena competed and unfortunately failed to win both Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber match that year. Cena also competed in a six-pack challenge at Fastlane for the WWE Championship but was unable to pick up the win.
At WrestleMania 34, Cena challenged The Undertaker to a match but got squashed by the deadman in just 2:45.
Cena then built a little bit of momentum back as he defeated Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 and also teamed up with Bobby Lashley against Elias and Kevin Owens at Super Show-Down in Melbourne, Australia.
Cena was also scheduled to compete in the 2019 Royal Rumble, but he had to step down due to an injury. After that Cena made a surprise return at WrestleMania 35 when he bought back the gimmick of “Doctor of Thuganomics”.
At WrestleMania 36 Cena had his last match of that year where he competed against Bray Wyatt in a “Firefly Fun House match”, which he lost.
2021 – 2024: Immortal
Cena made his return to WWE at Money in the Bank 2021 when he confronted the WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Cena had a match against Roman at that year’s SummerSlam which he was unable to win.
Cena left the in-ring action for some time after that and made his return before WrestleMania 39 in 2023 and challenged Austin Theory to a WWE United States Championship match at the Mania but unfortunately lost that as well.
The age of Cena was clearly a factor here as Cena was unable to perform at the same level as the new and younger roster. After that Cena also once competed in a tag team match with LA Night at Fastlane 2023 PLE where they defeated the team of Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.
At this moment we could clearly see the signs of Cena’s retirement but there was no confirmation of it from either WWE or Cena.
Cena then had a match with Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline at the 2023 Crown Jewel PLE where Sikoa absolutely destroyed the legend in their match. During the ending moments of that match, Solo delivered 9 Samoan Spikes to the Cena to end that match and pick up the win.
Since then since has not completed in one-on-one wrestling match. Although he made a surprise appearance during the main event at the Night 2 of WrestleMania XL where he delivered his finisher Attitude Adjustment on Solo to help Cody pick up the win.
After that Cena recently appeared on the 2024 Money in the Bank PLE where he officially announced his retirement from the WWE. As of now, Cena will be competing at next year’s WrestleMania in Vegas which will be his last Mania as a competitor.
Cena will continue to fight till the end of 2025 before he will officially say goodbye to the in-ring competition.
Career highlights and awards:
- 16x WWE World Heavyweight Champion
- 2x Royal Rumble Winner (2008, 2013)
- 4x WWE United States Champion
- 2x WWE Tag Team Champion
- 1x Money in the Bank (2012)
10x Slammy Awards:
- Superstar of the Year (2009, 2010, 2012)
- Holy %&@*# Move of the Year (2010)
- Game Changer of the Year (2011)
- Match of the Year (2013, 2014)
- “The Hero in All of Us” Award (2015)
AJ Styles – Age 47
AJ Styles is a Pro Wrestler who made his debut in WWE back in July 2001. Although he made his debut for the best wrestling company in the world a whopping 23 years ago, his time in the company did not last too long before he had to relocate to the city to help with his wife’s college plans.
After spending nearly 15 years on the Independent Circuit e.g. Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling, TNA, and various other promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling Styles decided to return to WWE in 2016.
The Legendary sportsman Styles made his debut in a WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble 2016, where he entered at 3 and lasted for 28 minutes and 58 seconds in the match. Styles quickly started making a name for himself in the company as he became the WWE Champion in less than 9 months at WWE Backlash 2016.
During his first run as the champion Styles held the gold for 140 days before losing it to Cena at Royal Rumble 2017 in an instant classic that will be talked about for ages to come. Styles also held the World Heaveywith Championship on one more occasion when he defeated Jinder Mahal on November 7, 2017, during an episode of SmackDown.
Styles held the gold for over a year (371 days exactly) before losing it to Daniel Bryan.
Since then Styles has been a part of the mid-card matches mostly where he has delivered some of the best matches of his WWE career. Styles recently had a rivalry with Cody Rhodes where he delivered one of the finest works of his career and helped push Cody to an entirely different level.
During this rivalry, we saw a promo where AJ Styles tricked and attacked Cody Rhodes after a fake retirement announcement.
Although this was to develop the storyline between the two for their next match, I think the time for Styles to hang up his boot is eventually coming closer as he is 47 years old right now, same as John Cena.
Styles also appeared in an interview with Cultaholic Wrestling on YouTube where he agreed to the fact that his time is indeed coming closer to an actual retirement. But there is no official announcement on that yet, but we might get one soon.
Career highlights and awards:
- 2x WWE Champion
- 1x WWE Intercontinental Champion
- 3x WWE United States Champion
- 1x WWE Raw Tag Team Champion
- 1x Slammy Awards for Match of the Year (2020)
Rey Mysterio – Age 49
Rey Mysterio is a WWE Hall of Famer and a Pro Wrestler who made his debut in Mexico in April 1989, at the age of just 14 years.
The Legendary sportsman Mysterio arrived in WCW in June 1996, where he competed in the Cruiserweight division. Throughout his career in pro wrestling, Mysterio is known as the high-flying little guy behind the mask. But very early into his career, Mysterio found himself in a match at SuperBrawl IX on February 21, 1999, where he was forced to unveil his face after losing a tag match against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
During his time in WCW Mysterio also earned himself the nickname “giant killer” after defeating opponents who were much larger than him.
Mysterio has always been an underdog throughout his wrestling career, and that’s one of the main things that people love about him.
In June of 2002, Mysterio made his debut in WWE and soon was having storylines and matches among the very best in the business. By 2006 Mysterio was ready to be the next big thing for the company as he won the Royal Rumble that year by lasting a record 62 minutes in the match.
Mysterio would then go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 in a “Triple threat match” against Kurt Angle (c) and Randy Orton.
Mysterio was a part of various storylines in WWE from 2007-10 where he would be competing for the Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Championship.
A few years before ending his first run in the WWE, Mysterio would go on to win his second World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated “Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk” at WWE Fatal 4-Way PLE in 2010.
Rey would then go on to have a few more mid-card storylines including losing a singles match to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 27.
A few years later Rey would eventually call off his time in WWE before heading to the Independent Circuit.
Rey then came back to WWE in 2019 and had a feud with Brock Lesnar where we would also see the debut of Cain Velasquez. Rey also had a No Holds Barred match for the WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar at that year’s WWE Survivor Series PLE.
In the last few years, Rey had very significant feuds with Seth Rollins and Judgement Day. Rey also faced his son “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 39.
Currently, Rey is a part of a reuniting faction the Latino World Order (LWO) where he is facing Santos Escobar and his crew. Rey is also a part of storylines with Judgement Day as his own son has turned on him.
Rey was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023 but he has not yet retired from in-ring competition.
Rey is the oldest athlete on our list. If we consider his age, unfortunately, his time in WWE is coming to an end but with amazing in-ring abilities and fitness, we might see him for a year or two.
Career highlights and awards:
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2023)
- 3x World Heavyweight Champion
- 1x Royal Rumble (2006)
- 2x WWE Intercontinental Champion
- 3x WWE United States Champion
- 3x WWE Cruiserweight Champion
- 5x WWE Tag Team Champion
That concludes my “List of sports legends retiring soon”. Let me know what you think in the comments below and I will catch you soon with some more new content.
