The number of older football players in Europe is declining – the swiftness of today’s football does not allow veterans to maintain game conditions. They demand special respect, including for their experience, skill and almost youthful enthusiasm.
Thanks to the development of sports science and training regimens, age is increasingly becoming just a number in world football.
If you have reached the age of thirty, this does not mean that your career has come to an end. Instead, some get even better with age, using all their experience to improve their game. Others simply see their years as just another challenge to overcome and an opportunity to prove themselves even more.
Right now, there are plenty of players aged 35 and over who are at the forefront of Europe’s top five leagues. We have chosen those whom we consider the best.
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Fabio Quagliarella
Like fine wine, Fabio Quagliarella has only gotten better with age, scoring 19, 26 and 11 goals in Serie A over the past three seasons despite being closer to 40 now than 30.
The footballer, who has played 28 matches for Italy, opened his 2022/23 season by missing only two games in Serie A, and has continued to be a regular part of Sampdoria since then.
Luka Modric
From five Champions League titles with Real Madrid to playing in the World Cup final with Croatia, not to mention winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or, Luka Modric has given a lot to this game.
The 37-year-old continues to play in the midfield of the “creamy”, and only last season he was ranked second in the list of the best assistants in La Liga among Real Madrid players
Laurent Koscielny
Arsenal may be on their way back to their former glory now, but there is no doubt that the Gunners’ defense has been hurt by the loss of Laurent Koscielny to Bordeaux.
The French veteran showed experience and consistency in defense, as well as excellent reading of the game and a reliable approach. He continues to do so in Ligue 1 as captain of Bordeaux.
Franck Ribery
Long gone are those glorious days when Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben tore apart Bundesliga defenders as part of Bayern Munich. But no, Frank is not finished with football. Robben has already retired, while Ribéry is still showing his creative prowess in Serie A.
Samir Handanovic
Age for goalkeepers can often be nothing more than a number, and this is certainly the case for Samir Handanović, who continues to hold the number one spot at Inter despite being 38 years old.
Handanović retained the second-most clean sheets (13) among Serie A goalkeepers last season. And most recently, in 2021, the Milanese became champions.
Thiago Silva
Many thought Thiago Silva’s Premier League debut for Chelsea would be a disaster, but he has since shown everyone why he hasn’t hung up his boots yet, often being the Blues’ top defender. The 38-year-old made nine Champions League appearances for PSG in his last season with the French side as the Parisians reached their first final.
When you consider that he continues to be in contention for a place at the start of the Brazilian national team (he made 12 appearances in 2022 alone), you begin to understand why Tuchel invited him to Chelsea.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
At this point, it probably makes sense to start asking yourself the question, “Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic really human?” The self-proclaimed “Benjamin Button” appeared to be in the twilight of his career when he left Manchester United in March 2018 due to injuries. By the way, they prevented the Swedes from showing the previous level. However, he joined the LA Galaxy and showed everyone that he can still intimidate defenders and score goals with frightening regularity, scoring 53 goals in 58 games for the club, including some truly remarkable goals.
Then the Swedish national team player returned to Europe, signed an agreement with Milan. Well, Ibrahimovic scored and was useful for the team in all competitions last season and continued in the same spirit in the 2020/21 season. At 41, Ibrahimovic may be playing at a higher level than we’ve seen him since PSG.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
