Tariq Panja

This is the last hurrah for a group of players who seem to have gone on and on and on.

This is a group of players who, unlike the past, seem to have kept themselves so fit in peak condition that they are playing into their 40s or close to their 40s.

And the first one you have to think about... Ronaldo.

...is Cristiano Ronaldo.

Yes, he's playing in Saudi Arabia now.

But again, like Messi, he dominated the sport for 20 years.

Modric.

Great Croatian tactician in the midfield, the great captain of the Croatian teams.

This could be the last games he plays.

I wonder if he might even retire after the World Cup.

A true hero to the Croatian people.

But it is this kind of attachment between player and nation, fan and nation.

It's kind of a bit of alchemy that requires all of these things to come together.

Absolutely.

I mean, Portugal and Ronaldo, for example, he is the most important figure in that country, whether it's business, politics, culture.

Cristiano Ronaldo is extremely important to Portugal's sense of itself, I would say.

And also with Messi and Ronaldo in particular.

These aren't kind of soccer superstars.

These are arguably the most famous people on the planet.

I think Ronaldo has more Instagram followers than any other human being.