Throughout the history of football, there have been numerous cases of players refusing national team call-ups, others retiring prematurely from international duty, often due to shared reasons such as disputes or differences in views with coaching staff.
However, the outcomes have varied significantly, with some losing their international careers while others eventually returned to represent their nations.
Bernd Schuster:
Bernd Schuster, the former German player, represented the three major clubs in Spain during his career.
Despite his success, his international career was marked by controversy.
After initially excelling with the German national team, conflicts with the coaching staff led to his retirement in 1984, at the age of 24.
Despite expressing readiness to return in 1993, he never received a call-up.
Fernando Redondo:
Argentinian midfielder Fernando Redondo refused to join the national team before the 1990 World Cup due to disagreements with the coach’s tactics.
Despite later participating in the 1994 World Cup, further disputes with subsequent coaches led to his decision not to represent Argentina again.
Joël Matip:
Cameroonian defender Joël Matip retired from international duty in 2015 due to conflicts with the coaching staff.
Despite this, he was controversially called up for the 2017 African Cup of Nations, which he declined.
His club, Liverpool, initially faced uncertainty over his availability for matches during international breaks.
Juan Román Riquelme:
Juan Román Riquelme, the Argentinian playmaker, retired from international football in 2009 due to disagreements with coach Diego Maradona.
Despite expressing his willingness to return, he never received a call-up.
Samuel Eto’o:
Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o faced disciplinary action from the Cameroonian Football Federation for his refusal to play in a friendly match.
Despite subsequent reconciliations, Eto’o continued to clash with authorities over various issues.
Michael Laudrup:
Danish midfielder Michael Laudrup retired from international duty in 1990 due to disagreements with the coaching staff.
Despite eventually returning to the national team, he missed out on Denmark’s historic victory at the 1992 European Championship.
Ada Hegerberg:
Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg withdrew from the Norwegian national team in 2017 due to frustrations with the federation’s treatment of women’s football.
Despite increased incentives from the federation, she remained absent until her return in 2022 after a five-year hiatus.
