Ronaldinho, Szczęsny, others – 7 footballers who came out of retirement to play

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By Enitan Abdultawab

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Retirement is often seen as the final chapter of a footballer’s professional career, but for some stars, the pull of the game proved too strong to resist. From surprise returns to emergency comebacks, several high-profile players have stepped away from football only to lace up their boots again.

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Here are seven notable players who came out of retirement to play again:

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Ronaldinho

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The 2002 World Cup winner retired from professional football in 2018, although his last professional appearance came for Fluminense in 2015.

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Now 46, Ronaldinho is making a remarkable return with Italian third-tier club Ravenna. He is also becoming involved in the club’s ownership structure. His comeback is expected to add another extraordinary chapter to his career.

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Wojciech Szczęsny

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Szczęsny announced his retirement from professional football in August 2024 after leaving Juventus.

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However, his retirement lasted only a few months. Barcelona turned to the Polish goalkeeper after Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a serious injury, and Szczęsny agreed to return to competitive football.

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His decision gave him an unexpected opportunity to play for one of Europe’s biggest clubs before ultimately calling time on his career again.

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Paul Scholes

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Scholes retired from football at the end of the 2010/11 season after an illustrious career with Manchester United.

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But when the club needed midfield reinforcements, the former England international made a surprise comeback in January 2012. He played for United for the remainder of the season before retiring again.

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Arjen Robben

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After ending his decorated career with Bayern Munich in 2019, Robben appeared to have called time on football.

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A year later, however, the Dutch winger made an unexpected return with his boyhood club, FC Groningen. Persistent injury problems eventually brought his playing career to a definitive end in 2021.

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Jens Lehmann

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Lehmann retired from professional football in 2010 after a distinguished career that included spells at Arsenal, Schalke and Borussia Dortmund.

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Arsenal’s goalkeeping problems prompted the German to return in 2011. At 41, he made a surprise comeback and featured for the Gunners in the Premier League before retiring again at the end of the season.

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Juan Sebastián Verón

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Verón retired in 2014 after playing for Estudiantes, but the Argentine midfielder wasn’t finished with football.

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In 2017, at the age of 41, he returned to the pitch for Estudiantes and featured in the Copa Libertadores. His comeback allowed him to play competitively for the club he had represented during multiple spells in his career.

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John Arne Riise

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The former Liverpool left-back retired in 2016 but returned to professional football later that year with Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC.

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Riise subsequently made another comeback in 2023, joining Norwegian club Avaldsnes at the age of 42. His multiple returns made him one of the more unusual examples of a player refusing to stay retired.

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