5 footballers who have already retired in 2025: Marcelo, Kjaer...

2025 is less than two months old but we’ve already had a big retirement announcement as Real Madrid legend Marcelo has officially called time on his career.

Whereas 2024 saw plenty of iconic names leave the game such as Toni Kroos and Andres Iniesta, we’re not ready to say goodbye to more legends this year.

Alongside Marcelo, there has been a handful of other players to call it a day. We’ll keep this list updated as the retirements roll in across the year but, as it stands, here’s who we’re saying goodbye to.

Marcelo

At age 36 following a one-season stint with his boyhood club Fluminense, the left-back has officially retired. His career was extraordinary and he became an icon and renowned as a world-class player for the majority of it, as he enjoyed incredible success.

He won 31 trophies in total for both club and country, including six La Liga titles, five Champions Leagues, one Copa Libertadores and one FIFA Confederations Cup. Plus, he was a six-time feature in the World XI.

Replacing Roberto Carlos, Marcelo had insanely big shoes to fill but the talented and technically exceptional defender was a mainstay in Madrid’s side in the 2010s and one of the best in the world in his position for over a decade. Winning the Libertadores in late 2023 saw him become the 12th player in history to win both the coveted competition as well as the Champions League and fans everywhere will be heading to YouTube to watch his very best bits and reminisce following the news. What a player.

Felipe Melo

The Brazilian played with Marcelo at Fluminense in what was the twilight of both their careers. Melo enjoyed a successful career before retiring at 41, winning 20 major honours at five clubs as well as the Confederations Cup in 2009.

Roberto Mancini once described him as a ‘warrior’ in midfield during his time at Inter Milan and he was an uncompromising midfielder who often took yellow cards for the team. It did boil over from time to time, with the most famous example being when he was sent off against the Netherlands in the World Cup in 2010 for a stamp on Arjen Robben.

Melo reached cult hero status across the majority of the clubs he played for due to his work rate, leadership qualities and aggression and he was popular among video game users who played the football game FIFA for his strong, all-round cards. He rides off into the sunset after 800 club appearances, 258 yellow cards, 62 goals and stints at Inter Milan, Juventus, Galatasaray, Palmieras and Fluminense.

Simon Kjaer

Kjaer has called time on an illustrious career at the top level aged 35, after enjoying spells at Sevilla, Lille, Fenerbache, AC Milan, Atalanta, Roma, Wolfsburg and Palmero. His sole trophy came in 2021 as he won the Serie A title with Milan.

He also is one of the most-capped Danish players of all time, playing 132 times across four World Cups and two European Championships. However, he is most well known for his role in helping to stabilise Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during their Euro 2020 campaign.

The captain was first to notice and help the midfield, summoning the medical team and ensuring he stayed unobstructed while unconscious. In a hugely emotional moment, he kept his cool and proved his leadership qualities as he consoled Eriksen’s wife, helping to calm her down and he later was awarded the UEFA President’s Award together with the medical team that stabilized Eriksen, whilst also earning a place in the 2021 final 30 in the Ballon d’Or after helping to guide his side to the semi-finals. 

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Shaun Williams

The 38-year-old Irishman has called it a day after an 18-year career that featured stints in the Championship, League One, League Two and the League Of Ireland.

Williams’ longest stint came at Millwall across seven years with 295 appearances which followed three years at Milton Keynes Dons and 137 games. There were also spells at Gillingham, Portsmouth and Irish sides Dundalk, Finn Harps, Sporting Fingal and Drogheda United, where he first developed.

On top of that, he managed three caps for the Republic of Ireland, after being given his debut by Martin O’Neil in 2018, at age 31, featuring against France, Wales and Poland. A true English league warrior, he played across five leagues in the football pyramid including his final spell at Eastbourne in the National League South as well as playing for his country and he can rest well after a strong career.

Tommy Smith

While it is only a month into the new year, there is also a retirement in the Championship, as 32-year-old Tommy Smith has had to call time on his 12-year professional career due to an ACL injury.

Having come through at Tranmere Rovers, Manchester City and Huddersfield at academy level, the defender played 182 times for the Yorkshire club and was part of the squad that earned promotion to the Premier League in 2017 via the playoffs.

He managed 39 appearances in the top flight before Huddersfield were relegated once again, later joining Middlesbrough and enjoying a great spell of consistent action under Michael Carrick. However, he ruptured his Achilles tendon in October 2023 which led to 15 months out of action and forced his hand when calling it a day.