Sporting retirements that shook the world

Eric Cantona stunned the football world by announcing his retirement on this day in May 1997.

Ever the enigma, the Frenchman hung up his boots decidedly on his own terms – with a year left to run on his Manchester United contract and aged just 30, having just won a fourth Premier League title in five years.

Yahoo Sport looks at other sports stars who surprised everyone when calling it quits.

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BJORN BORG (tennis)

Borg boasted 11 grand slam wins and the most consecutive wins in tennis history, 43, when he quit the sport in 1981 – aged just 26. After losing to great rival John McEnroe in the 1981 US Open, Borg insisted the spark had left his game and he later quit. McEnroe even pleaded with Borg to change his mind, so encapsulated was the American by the rivalry with the Swede.

JOHAN CRUYFF (football)

Just three years after inventing the Cruyff turn and guiding Holland to the 1974 World Cup final, the then-Barcelona star retired from international football, aged 30. After helping Holland qualify for the 1978 tournament, he called it quits – initially claiming a boycott of hosts Argentina, owing to the country’s military dictatorship of the time. Later he revealed his family had been caught up in a kidnap attempt in Barcelona and he did not want to spend so much time away from them. Cruyff won 48 caps and scored 33 goals for Holland, and continued a club career spanning more than 500 matches until 1984.

NICO ROSBERG (motor racing)

Nico Rosberg stunned the Formula One world in December 2016 by announcing his retirement with immediate effect – aged 31 and just five days after sealing his maiden world championship title. The German, who only signed a two-year extension to his Mercedes contract in July, made the shock revelation in Vienna as he prepared to receive his champion’s trophy at the FIA prize-giving ceremony. He initially informed only a handful of people – including his great rival Lewis Hamilton – before revealing he first pondered retirement after he took control of the championship battle with victory at October’s Japanese Grand Prix.

ROCKY MARCIANO (boxing)

Still the only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated, Marciano hung up his gloves in 1956 aged just 32. The American somehow resisted the temptation to return to the ring, with a record standing at 49 wins and no losses, with 43 knockouts. Marciano died in a plane crash in 1969, the day before his 46th birthday.

BARRY JOHN (rugby union)

Barry ‘King’ John quit rugby entirely in 1972 aged just 27 and with the world at his feet. John spearheaded the British and Irish Lions’ maiden Test series victory in New Zealand in 1971, but just a year later left the game behind. John called it a day having won just 25 caps, though did so having already made his mark as one of Wales’ all-time greats. The pressure of fame and expectation underscored his decision to walk away from a sport for which he boasted matchless game breaking and controlling talents. The Lions’ 1971 tour remains the one and only time the British Isles’ best have triumphed in a Test series in New Zealand.

JEREMY HELAN (football)

Former France Under-19 star Helan shocked Sheffield Wednesday last September by walking away from football aged just 24 to devote himself to his religion. The ex-Wolves midfielder and devout Muslim has been reported as keen to move to Saudi Arabia to follow Islam more closely, having spent increasing amounts of time in the country. Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal admitted he had been aware of Helan’s intentions since the summer.

Michael Jordan

On October 6, 1993, Chicago Bulls star Jordan announced his retirement from NBA, citing a loss of desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the death of his father earlier in the year also shaped his decision.^[52] Jordan’s father was murdered on July 23, 1993. Jordan played minor league baseball before returning to basketball in 1995.

Lance Armstrong

Won the 2005 Tour de France – his seventh – and announced he was quitting cycling for good. Then just 33, Armstrong was the most successful rider in the history of the event and was persuaded to return in 2009 after which he was exposed as a drugs cheat and stripped of all his titles.