5 Footballers Who Came Out of International Retirement in 2021 To Help Their Countries

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic leads a number of sensational football stars who came out of retirement in the course of year 2021
• French striker Karim Benzema also returned to the national team to represent Le Blues having been exiled for about five years
• Nigerian star Odion Ighalo who retired from the international football after AFCON 2019 also returned to the Super Eagles

A number of footballers who had announced their retirement from international football returned to action to play for their respective countries in 2021, Euro Sport reports.

Year 2021 saw great players who had hung their boots dust them and returned to action as they featured for their respective countries yet again.

With the World Cup around the corner, countries had to reach out to some of their best players who might have dumped the national team to come to their aid.

Below are five players who returned to the national team in 2021

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Football

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Having been exiled from the Swedish national team for five years, Zlatan Ibrahimovic the Milan striker has been recalled for two World Cup qualifiers back in March.

The lanky forward had not played for his country since retiring from international football after the Euro 2016 finals, but he recently held talks with Sweden coach Janne Andersson about a comeback and he returned.

2. Dani Alves

Dani Alves completed his medical after making a sensational return to Barcelona following the appointment of former teammate Xavi Hernandez.

However, the 38-year-old will not be featuring for Xavi's side until January 2, 2022, against Mallorca.

The right-sided defender who just won Olympic gold in the summer at Tokyo left Barcelona unceremoniously in 2016 after eight years at the club.

3. Odion Ighalo

Before his sacking, Gernot Rohr listed team Odion Ighalo, captain Ahmed Musa and deputy captain William Ekong for Nigeria’s closing Group C games of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 African race against Liberia and Cape Verde last month.

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Football

Odion Ighalo disclosed that he was pressured to return to the national team by Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick.

4. Karim Benzema

After being ignored by the French national senior men's team for the past six years, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was recalled to the current world champions back in May.

This latest development comes as a cheering one for Karim Benzema who have been looking for ways to make return to the national team.

His greatest regret was not to be part of the French team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia where France defeated Croatia in the final.

5. Thomas Muller

Thomas Muller was called up to Germany's squad for the European Championships this summer for the first time in over two years.

Muller, who won the 2014 World Cup under Low, were some of the players dropped after Germany's disappointing 2018 World Cup first round exit and their losing Nations League performance later that year.

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England handed Group of Death in UEFA Nations League

Meanwhile, Sports Brief earlier reported that England national team, The Three Lions, have been handed a tough group in next year’s UEFA Nations League after the draws were made.

Gareth Southgate’s side will renew hostilities with old rivals Germany in their group which also has eternal rivals Italy.

England will look to avenge their Euro 2020 final defeat against Italy as they were drawn against Roberto Mancini's men in the group stage of the competition.