Neil Hodgson believes Marquez’s retirement could mirror Cantona’s decision
Neil Hodgson believes it wouldn’t be a shock if Marc Marquez steps away from MotoGP in 2026, drawing a parallel with Eric Cantona’s decision to walk away from football when he felt the time was right.
Marquez is still under contract with Ducati through the end of the season, but his ongoing struggles with the GP26 and lingering effects from a shoulder injury have kept questions about his future front and centre.
The Spaniard underwent surgery last October after suffering a coracoid fracture and ligament damage in his right shoulder during an incident at the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix. Seven months later, he still hasn’t been able to return to riding naturally.
Hodgson admits he wouldn’t be shocked to see Marquez retire if he can’t get back to fighting at the front
Marquez hasn’t looked himself this season, and Hodgson thinks he’s started making mistakes at key moments — something that hasn’t been an issue since 2015. His most recent error came at Jerez, where he crashed on Lap 2 while running in second place.
The crash in Spain denied Marquez what could have been his best finish of the year. He’d already retired from Thailand with a puncture and had to settle for P4 in Brazil and P5 in the US.
“There’s no denying that Marc Marquez has struggled this season. What we don’t know yet is if he’s battling through that injury still, and he’ll come out just as competitive as he was. For now, he’s making mistakes at critical points of races in a way he has not done since 2015”, Hodgson told TNT Sports.
“What he normally does is push the bike to its limit in practice sessions, and find that edge by going over it a couple of times. Then he pulls back just behind it for the races”, Hodgson added.
“Over the years, he’s been a hugely honest rider when interviewed. He’s made it clear that if his season is just third and fourth place, it holds no interest for him. It’s like Eric Cantona.
“When he [Cantona] retired, he was still better than most. But he wasn’t happy with his standards, so he packed up. If the season continues like this, it would be no surprise if he [Marquez] walked away at the end of the season. He’s not doing it for the money.”
Cantona left football back in 1997 after scoring 11 goals during his final season with Manchester United. Even though he was still playing well — only two years removed from being named Footballer of the Year by FWA — he decided to step away from the game entirely on his own terms.
Ducati have yet to confirm any new deal because they’re still working through details of a wider five-year commercial agreement with MotoGP. Until those talks are finalised, teams aren’t expected to announce any driver moves or signings.
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