Sports have always been an integral part of society and culture, football more so. The first-ever FIFA World Cup in the Middle East began on 20 November in Qatar. This FIFA World Cup 2022, aka the winter tournament, is being played right in the middle of an active club football season for the first time.

Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022 has more significance than you might think. Several top footballers are set to retire at the end of the season. With some Football stars’ retirements nearing, this could be their last FIFA World Cup appearance.

Moreover, it is likely to be the last chance to add the World Cup to their trophy cabinet for a lot of high-profile names, with players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, etc. These legends are expected to retire from international football by 2026.

Football lovers around the globe are crossing their fingers as they watch their favorite football superstars play their final tournament and battle for the trophy one last time. Considering these, Real Research conducted a survey on football legends playing their final FIFA World Cup in 2022. Some of the key findings of the survey results include:

  • Half (50.32%) of the public watches football invariably
  • 56.81% are looking forward to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
  • 42.82% will be most affected by Lionel Messi’s retirement

More Than Half (50.32%) Are Pumped for the 2022 World Cup

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Figure 1: Respondents on whether they look forward to FIFA World Cup 2022

Participants were asked if they watched football at the beginning of the survey. Football is always watched by 50.32% of respondents, occasionally by 26.16%, rarely by 15.3%, and never by 2.89%.

FIFA World Cup is one of the most-watched sports events in the world. In light of this, the survey asked whether respondents were looking forward to watching the FIFA World Cup 2022. A majority of 56.8% responded definitely, while 23.26 % said somewhat, 11.8% a little, and 2.2% were not looking forward to it at all.

Read More: Survey on the Predicted Group Stage Winners at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Football Stars Retiring From World Cup Left People Sad, Curious, and Happy

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Figure 2: Respondents on how they feel about football stars retiring from World Cup

A number of football stars are retiring from the world cup, likely bringing an end to an era after FIFA World Cup 2022. According to our survey, respondents’ feelings about stars’ retirement are vivid regardless of their popularity. 9.77% of respondents are sad about players retiring, while 9.56% are curious about the situation.

Furthermore, when asked which player’s retirement is likely to affect them the most, the majority (42.82%) answered Argentina’s Lionel Messi, followed by 27.42% who chose Portugal’s, Christiano Ronaldo.

Read More: 51.03% Are Excited About Cristiano Ronaldo at FIFA World Cup 2022

Football Players Retire Because of Physical Limitations, Say 44.6%

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Figure 3: Respondents on the reasons for football stars’ retirement

The FIFA World Cup season always marks the stepping down of players. The FIFA World Cup 2022 is no different. The survey gathered opinions on what might be the most fitting age for a football player to quit. 36.91% say less than 31 years old is the right age for retirement, 25.4% chose 31-35 years, and 21.52% 36-40 years as the right age for players to retire from football.

Finally, the survey concluded by asking what respondents think is the major factor that determines football stars’ retirement, for which 44.6% said physical capacity and 19.7% said age. Another 14.27% believed injuries might be the cause for players’ retirement, and 11.87% pointed to mental capacity as the reason for football players retiring from games.

Also Read: Survey on the Controversies Surrounding the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Methodology

Survey TitleSurvey on Football Legends Playing Their Final FIFA World Cup in 2022
DurationNovember 20- November 27, 2022
Number of Participants20,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, China (Hong Kong) China (Macao), China (Taiwan), Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greanada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Maldives, Maluritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.