10 Footballers Who Retired And Came Back

Footballers who retired and came back to the game are a very rare sight. Football is a short but sweet career in every sense of the phrase. Very few are fortunate enough to make it to the professional game, so when it's time to hang up the boots, it's an endlessly difficult decision to make.

Some legends of the game have gone on a fair bit longer, however, and this lot hung up their boots only to realise they still have it.

Sportz Point lists down the Top 10 footballers who retired from football and then came back out of retirement to play the beautiful game. 

Paul Scholes

On January 8, 2012, more than six months after announcing his retirement, Scholes was named on the bench for the Manchester derby.

Not even his team-mates knew he was returning before they got into the dressing room that day, never mind the shocked United fans – and media – inside the stadium.

Scholes ended up making 21 appearances in the second half of the season and then stayed on for another year as United won back the Premier League title before Sir Alex Ferguson and Scholes – for good this time – called it a day.

Arjen Robben

Robben enjoyed an illustrious career at PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but announced his retirement in 2019 after citing the toll injuries had taken on him.

But the winger seemed to regret his decision, and he is going to attempt a playing comeback with his boyhood club FC Groningen in 2020-21.

"I was 12 when I started playing in FC Groningen's youth academy," he said in a video posted on Groningen's Twitter account.

"I made my home debut against Feyenoord when I was 16. After two years I made a transfer to PSV Eindhoven. After a wonderful adventure of 18 years, we're coming home."

Johan Cruyff

Following his initial retirement in 1978, Cruyff cited financial reasons for his prompt return to football with Los Angeles Aztecs, having reportedly been scammed in Spain with false investments.

"I had lost millions in pig farming and that was the reason I decided to become a footballer again," he said at the time, going on to play for six further years, including a successful return to Holland with boyhood club Ajax and Feyenoord.

Zico

One of the greatest players of all time, Zico simply couldn't shake the itch despite swapping football for politics following his 1989 retirement and pausing his new career to make a return – in Japan.

Zico dug the boots out of the loft and took them over to Kashima to join second-tier outfit Sumitomo Metals – now Kashima Antlers. He remained there until 1994 and left a legend due to the professionalism and commitment he showed during his time in Japan, becoming a Japanese footballing icon and helping to put Kashima on the football map.

Read Also | 10 players who have won the most trophies in football history 

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi needs no introduction anywhere in the world and the Barcelona talisman is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history.

He has, however, been unable to translate his tremendous abilities on the international scene with his country and infamously lost three consecutive finals between 2014 and 2016.

After Argentina's loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America in 2016, a tearful Lionel Messi could not handle the heartbreak and announced his decision to never play for Argentina again.

The fact that he was just 29-years-old at the time meant that he still had plenty years ahead of him and a public appeal was launched to get the Rosario native back to the Argentina fold and Messi rescinded his decision in time to help his country qualify for the 2018 World Cup, scoring a memorable hat-trick in the last match of the qualifiers against Bolivia.

Messi then went on to win four back-to-back international trophies with Argentina, including FIFA World Cup 2022, and Copa America in 2021 and 2024. 

Read Also | All the FIFA World Cup winners and runners-up since 1930 

Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane is widely regarded as the best midfielder of his generation and many place him among the greatest of all time.

He starred with Bordeaux, Juventus, and Real Madrid on the club scene, with his wonderful volley to give Real Madrid her 9th Champions League trophy in 2002 is regarded as the greatest goal ever scored in the history of the tournament.

On the international scene, 'Zizou' helped France to the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euro and after consecutive failures at the 2002 World Cup and 2004 Euro, Zidane announced his retirement from international football.

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However, in his absence, Les Bleus struggled to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, leading coach Raymond Domenech to plead with his starman to come back and upon his return, he was reinstated as team captain and helped turn France' fortunes around to seal qualification for the Mundial.

In the tournament held in Germany, Zidane inspired France to the final against Italy, scoring the equalizer in the match but his legacy was tainted when he headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi and was consequently sent off in what was his last act on a football field.

Claude Makelele

Claude Makelele helped reinvent the holding midfield role and was so crucial to Chelsea's early success under Jose Mourinho that the defensive midfield position is referred to this day as the 'Makelele role'.

He had earlier represented Real Madrid to great success but a failure to pay him commensurately to the more attacking players led to his departure and the club's consequent demise.

Makelele was not part of France's success at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euro and made his international debut in 2002, retiring two years later after Euro 2004.

He was, however, recalled to the team alongside Zidane and Thuram to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup and his contributions with midfield partner Patrick Vieira were invaluable as their nation made it to the final.

Jens Lehmann

After leaving the Gunners in 2008, the legendary German goalie was back for a second stint between the sticks for Arsenal in 2011 - a year after he put away his gloves.

Initially he was signed as a back-up to Manuel Almunia, after Arsene Wenger's team suffered with injuries.

At 42, Lehmann was called upon for a game against Blackpool, after Almunia got injured in the warm-up.

His team were victorious - winning 3-1. But you can bet the competitive Jens would've been furious he didn't keep a clean sheet.

Denilson

Brazilian legend Denilson de Oliveira, once the world's most expensive player, has just announced his sensational return to football aged 44.

Simply known as Denilson, the winger has penned a deal with Brazilian lower league side Ibis Sport Club - 12 YEARS after initially hanging up his boots. The star played 61 times for Brazil between 1996 and 2003, and lifted the World Cup in 2002.

His £21.5million move from Sao Paulo in his homeland to Spanish outfit Real Betis in 1998 made him the world's most expensive player at the time.

Denilson initially retired in 2010 after spells with Greek second-tier side Kavala and Vietnamese outfit Hai Phong.

But he is now readying himself for a return to the pitch.

Romario

The third Brazilian in the list of football players who came out of retirement is the veteran striker, Romario. The legendary striker is one of the few players to score more than a thousand goals for goals for club and country. After a highly successful career in Eindhoven, Barcelona and Vasco da Gama Romario retired from football in 2007 at the age of 41.

However he announced later that year that he would come out to play his last game for his beloved club,  Vasco da Gama to honour his dad's wishes. He came on in the 68th minute in his final game and helped his team to win 2-0 and clinched the title.

Whatever the reason, history is littered with several players who returned to club and international football after announcing their retirement and they will long be remembered for their contribution to the wonderful sport.

This completes our list of Top 10 Footballers Who Retired And Came Back. For more lists and articles, follow Sportz Point.