The before and after the stars of the Qatar 2022 World Cup: this was their physical transformation over the years

Everything is expectation and excitement ahead of the new Qatar 2022 World Cup event, which for many protagonists could be the last of their career as professional footballers. Integrating the list of players called up to play a World Cup is something that few manage to achieve and within that honor of wearing national colors only a handful could do so consecutively for more than three editions.

After having qualified for this new event with Argentina, Portugal and Mexico respectively, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa will join the select group of players with the most World Cups played in history, where there are already glories of sport such as Lothar Matthaus (Germany), Antonio Carvajal (Mexico), Rafael Márquez (Mexico) and still active goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), all with five performances.

In the lead up to the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Infobae set out to take a physical tour of the stars through time: from its debut in the most important tournament in the world, to what could be the last.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany marked the beginning of Lionel Messi's history at the World Cup. Far from being the absolute benchmark he is today, with 19 years old and number 19 on his back, the Pulga was not part of the starting team that Pekerman presented in the debut against Ivory Coast. During that World Cup event, in which Albiceleste played five games until they were eliminated against the hosts in the quarterfinals, the rosarino played three games and scored a goal (against Serbia on the second date).

In South Africa 2010, and with Diego Maradona at the helm, the Argentine star was already playing a more prominent role in the team. He was in the starting eleven in each presentation until the elimination again in the quarterfinals against Germany and it was there, already with number 10 on his back, that he wore the captain's tape for the first time. In that edition Javier Mascherano was the carrier of the band but when he did not play the third group stage duel the responsibility fell on a 22-year-old Leo.

No Argentinean will be able to forget the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. With the help of Alejandro Sabella and already established as the benchmark, Messi led the national team to its first final after 24 years. In that edition, he played all seven matches, scored four goals and won the Best Player award of the tournament. The color detail was that Germany again became its executioner.

Finally, in 2018, at the age of 31, Leo again wrapped the captain's tape around his arm in a team led by Jorge Sampaoli. In Russia, he played four games until he was eliminated in the round of 16 with France and scored a goal against Nigeria on the third round of the group stage. So far, Messi has 19 World Cup matches and six shouts.

Like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo began his world championship career at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. With 21 years old and number 17 on his back, the Portuguese star reached the semifinals of the World Cup and started six of the seven matches he played until the defeat against France. Although he played in the match for third place with Germany (they lost 3-1) he did not participate in the match for Mexico by the last date of the group stage. There he also scored his first goal in a World Cup, it was against Iran for the second date of the first phase.

For South Africa 2010, already with the number 7 that characterizes him and the captain's tape in his possession, the Portuguese scored his second goal in a World Cup event in what was the team's only 7-0 victory over North Korea. In that edition, Carlos Queiroz's team tied the other two matches of the first phase to zero and fell in the round of 16 against Spain.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was to be the most forgettable of his career after being eliminated in the group stage after losing to Germany in the debut (4-0), drawing with the United States (2-2) and beating Ghana on the final date (2-1 with his goal). Contrary to what happened on South American soil, in Russia 2018, at the age of 33 he was going to star in his personal best performance, converting four goals during the four matches he played until he fell in the round of 16 against Uruguay. So far, CR7 played 17 games and converted 7 points.

Guillermo Memo Ochoa is preparing to make the best way to Qatar 2022. Everything indicates that at the age of 36 the Mexican goalkeeper will play his fifth World Cup, after making his debut at the 2006 World Cup at the age of 21. It should be noted that both in that World Cup event and in 2010, the native of Guadalajara was a substitute and could not defend the goal, occupied by Oswaldo Sánchez and Conejo Pérez, respectively.

With the number 13 on his back and after joining the 2006 and 2010 squads, the title was going to come to him in the World Cup in Brazil 2014, where the still goalkeeper of A.C. Ajaccio from France placed himself under three suits in the four matches played by the Mexican team until he fell in the round of 16 with the Netherlands 2-1.

In 2018 Ochoa reached the World Cup in Russia at the age of 32 and, under the command of Juan Carlos Osorio, he would once again be the holder of the Tri. As in the previous edition, the Mexicans said goodbye in the round of 16 after losing to Brazil 2-0. In total, and so far, Memo played eight games and conceded 9 goals.

At the age of 24, Manuel Neuer was called up for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and since his World Cup debut he won the title of the German national team. Still playing for Schalke 04, the German did not weigh down the number 1 on his back and in the six matches he played he only received one goal in the 1-0 defeat against Spain in the semifinals of the tournament. In the match for third place, which the Teutons beat Uruguay 3-2, Hans-Jörg Butt saved.

In Brazil 2014 his consecration came. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper was going to scream champion after his team beat Argentina's 1-0 at the Maracana. There he played the corresponding seven matches, received the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper in the competition and won the trophy most desired by any football player. In total he conceded 4 goals.

From glory to failure. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia and with him as captain after Philipp Lahm's absence, Die Mannschaft could not pass the group stage after losing to Mexico 1-0 on the first date, beating Sweden 2-1 in the second and falling surprisingly to South Korea 2-0 in the latter. So far, he played 16 games and received 9 goals.

With the number 16 on his back, Sergio Busquets made his debut in a world championship in the best way after becoming champion in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa at the age of 22 by beating the Netherlands 1-0. In that tournament, the midfielder played the corresponding seven matches and was key in a sector of the field that he shared with his teammates from Barcelona Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta.

Like what happened with the German goalkeeper, the next edition was the worst of his career as in Brazil 2014 he played only two of the three group stage matches that Spain could not overcome by losing to the Dutch (5-1) and Chile (2-0). 12 years after lifting the trophy, in Russia, and already with number 5 , the Barsa benchmark started in the four matches that La Roja held until being eliminated by the hostess in the round of 16. So far, Busi played 13 World Cup matches.

At the age of 31, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was the last to win the long-awaited World Cup after France's 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, his history with the Blues began badly in South Africa 2010 and at the age of 23, unable to overcome the group stage in which he played all three games and conceded 4 goals.

In Brazil 2014, as captain of the French team, Lloris played five games until his team was eliminated in the quarterfinals against Germany. As far as the last edition is concerned, the French goalkeeper did not play the last match of the group stage, so he has 14 matches and 13 goals against.

The Pistolero played his first World Cup in South Africa 2010 at the age of 23 and became one of the figures on the squad led by Maestro Tabarez, as he was key in his team's semifinals by avoiding a Ghanaian goal with his hand at the last minute. Because of that action, Luis Suarez could not play against the Netherlands, which finally got the ticket to the final. In their world cup debut, charrua played six games and scored three goals.

In Brazil 2014 he was going to be the protagonist of a new controversy. In the last match of the group stage against Italy, the player, who had recently been bought by Barcelona, bit the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini and was unable to play against Colombia, which ended up winning in the round of 16 confrontation.

In 2018 and already 31 years old, Suarez started in the five matches played by the Uruguayan national team until his elimination in the quarterfinals against France 2-0. So far he played 13 duels and scored 7 goals.

With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Luka Modric could have joined the list of the players who played the most world cup events in history (with five). However, being left out of the South African World Cup, this will be his fourth performance after making his debut at the age of 21 in 2006. At that event, coach Zlatko Kranjčar decided to leave him as a substitute in the first match against Brazil and start him in the other two. In the end, Croatia failed to advance to the second round.

In 2014, and already with number 10 on his back, the Real Madrid player integrated the starting eleven from the start but again did not make it out of the group stage. He and his country were going to experience a totally different situation in 2018. In Russia, Modric became the captain and led his team to the final, where he fell to France 4-2. So far, the 36-year-old midfielder played 12 games and scored two goals.

Despite not having played in any of the five matches played by the Brazilian team after the good performances of Lucio and Juan, at the age of 25 Thiago Silva was part of the squad that traveled to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in which he reached the quarterfinals.

It was only in the 2014 edition that took place in his country when Luis Felipe Scolari gave him the title, number 3 and the captain's tape so that, together with David Luiz, he took over the central backward. In that tournament he played six of the seven matches (including third place) and scored his first goal in the quarterfinal match against Colombia. In that confrontation he was also noticed and was left out of what was the shameful elimination against Germany after falling 7-1.

Finally, in 2018 and at the age of 33, he performed in Russia as the leader of the defense in the five matches he played until elimination in the quarterfinals against Belgium 2-1. So far he has 11 duels in three World Cups.

Since his debut at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa against Nigeria at the age of 22 and number 7 on his back, Ángel Di María became one of the fundamental pieces for the different technicians who passed through the Argentine national team. In that edition, with Diego Maradona at the helm, he played all five matches until elimination in the quarterfinals, while in Brazil 2014, with Sabella, he played the first five until an injury marginalized him from being present in the semifinals and the remembered final against Germany.

In 2018, at the age of 30, El Fideo started in three of the four duels in which Albiceleste participated before falling in the second round against France 4-3, where he scored a real goal that unfortunately was not enough to reverse the result.

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