Too bad for Cavani.

Cavani owes nothing to anyone, but he owes himself a decision.

Last weekend, in the stands of La Bombonera, a section of Boca Juniors fans booed whenever Edinson Cavani touched the ball. That image alone was enough to dampen the spirits of football fans. Cavani, who once terrorized European defenses and was a symbol of resilience and hunger, now faces skeptical glances from his own fans.

At 39, he is no longer the goal-scoring machine of his peak years. In the 2025 season, Cavani only scored 5 goals. Since the beginning of 2026, he has only played two matches due to injury. Since February 2023, Cavani has suffered 13 different injuries and missed 36 matches. For a striker who relies on running and explosive movement, declining physical condition means that his instincts are also eroding.

Oscar Ruggeri, the 1986 World Cup champion, spoke frankly: Cavani should stop. He said he felt "pain" seeing a big star being booed. He emphasized that the body is sending signals. It's not criticism. It's the understanding of someone who has been through that path before.

Cavani announced his retirement last December, ending a 20-year career with 458 goals and 24 titles. But then he continued playing. Perhaps because he still had the desire. Perhaps because he didn't want to end the story quietly.

The issue isn't about a few more goals. Cavani doesn't need more numbers to build up his record. He's won Ligue 1, reached the Champions League final, and scored crucial goals for Manchester United during difficult times. He owes nothing to anyone.

When time was no longer on Cavani's side, he had to stop.

But Argentinian football is far more unforgiving than European football. There, the stands don't live on nostalgia. They demand the present. One missed opportunity is enough to turn a legend into a target of criticism.

Ruggeri made a thought-provoking statement: "He owes nothing to anyone." That's true. But Cavani probably still owes himself a decision: to stop while he still has respect, or to continue until his body can no longer tolerate it?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic played until he was 41. But every player has a different biological rhythm. Ibrahimovic's stamina isn't a measure for everyone. Cavani lived on energy, on tireless pressing, on a burning desire to win every inch of the pitch. When that energy is gone, his image fades with it.

Perhaps the saddest thing isn't the decline in form, but the feeling that a legend is being dragged down from its pedestal by time.

Cavani used to be a symbol of professionalism and fighting spirit. He wasn't the flashy type of star. He scored goals and left quietly. But now, that silence has a different meaning. It's the pause before a big decision.

For Cavani, that memory is complete. And perhaps, it's time for applause to replace the boos.

Football grants no one the privilege of immortality. The pitch is constantly changing. New generations emerge, faster and stronger. The old guard can only stay if their bodies allow it. When your body says "enough is enough," the bravest thing to do is sometimes to listen.

Cavani is at a final crossroads. Not between Boca Juniors and another club, but between the past and the future. Between the desire to continue and accepting a point of no return.

A legend is not measured by whether they leave late or early. They are measured by the memories people retain.

For Cavani, that memory is complete. And perhaps, it's time for applause to replace the boos.

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