Top oldest players: While others are retiring from active football at the age of 32-35, some stars are still kicking strong on the field.
Age brings wisdom – the question of whether football is a young man’s game arises with the unexpected influx of youthful talents that are coming our way and will keep us amused for the foreseeable future.
Recently, young players have received so much attention that spectators have forgotten about players who have dedicated their entire careers to this sport.
There are football players still playing today who have consistently performed well every season and have been outstanding ambassadors for their team and nation.
Something like this requires the uttermost commitment and experience, and it is not very simple to accomplish.
Today on Futballnews, we will be looking at the top 5 oldest players that are still active in football – but first, we have a 55-year-old on the list.
Wonder how he is still active despite the old bones and rigorous training? Well, stay with me…
Kazuyoshi Miura – 56 years old (1986 – present)
On loan from J1 League club Yokohama FC, Kazuyoshi Miura, more often known as Kazu, is a Japanese professional footballer who plays forward for Liga Portugal 2 team Oliveirense.
And one of the Top Oldest players still in active football.
As well as being the oldest player to score in a professional game, he is considered as the oldest professional footballer in history.
He was the first Japanese to win the IFFHS Asia’s Footballer of the Year title and represented Japan from 1990 to 2000.
Miura, who rose to recognition in Japan at the same time the J.League began play in 1993, was maybe the country’s first football celebrity.
As of 2023, Miura is the oldest professional footballer in the world at age 56. He also holds the records for having the longest professional career and scoring the oldest goals in the J-League.
Gianluigi Buffon – 45 years old (1995 – present)
Gianluigi Buffon OMRI is a goalkeeper and captain for the Serie B team Parma in Italy. He is Italian.
He is widely recognized as one of, if not the finest goalie to ever play the position.
He is among the select group of players with over 1,100 registered professional appearances.
Buffon’s club career officially began in 1995 with Parma, where he made his Serie A debut.
Being one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Italy, he quickly made his way into the starting lineup and contributed to Parma’s 1999 Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup, and Supercoppa Italiana victories.
Buffon became one of the top goalkeepers in the world after joining Juventus in 2001 for the then-record sum of €52 million for a goalkeeper. During his first two seasons at the club, Buffon won the Serie A championship.
He won a record nine Serie A championships, four Coppa Italias, and five Supercoppa Italianas during his first stint at Juventus.
In addition to being elected Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record twelve times, he was the first goalie to receive the Serie A Footballer of the Year title.
Joaquín Sanchez – 41 years old (2000 – present)
Joaquin Sánchez Rodriguez, also known as Joaquin, is a Spanish professional football player who currently plays as the right winger for La Liga team Real Betis and serves as their captain.
His exceptional dribbling and crossing skills are second to none, and he is most recognized for his pace and acceleration.
He spent the majority of his career with Betis and Valencia, playing in 600 La Liga games over the course of 19 seasons, scoring 76 goals, and winning the Copa del Rey with both teams (twice with the former).
He represented Málaga in the competition and signed with Fiorentina in 2013 after moving to Italy.
Joaquin earned 51 Spanish caps, playing for his country at two World Cups and Euro 2004.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 41 years old (1999 – present)
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic represents both his country’s football team and the Serie A club AC Milan.
Ibrahimovic is well known for his dexterous attacks and volleys, strong long-range shots, and superb technique and ball control.
With 34 titles in his career, he is one of the most decorated active footballers in the world and is considered as one of the best attackers of all time.
He has scored in each of the last four decades and has over 570 career goals, including more than 500 club goals.
Throughout the course of a 20-year international career, Ibrahimovic is one of just eleven players who have made 100 or more appearances for the Swedish national team.
He is the country’s all-time leading goalscorer with 62 goals.
Pepe – 40 years old (1999 – present)
Brazilian-Portuguese professional footballer Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira ComM (Pepe) is a center back for Porto and the Portugal national team.
He is recognized as one of his generation’s top defenders.
Pepe played for Martimo, Porto, Real Madrid, and Beşiktaş during his professional career. The middle two clubs saw both individual and collective success.
He participated in 334 games for Real Madrid and won three La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League crowns, two Copa del Rey crowns.
He has also won three Taça de Portugal championships and four Primeira Liga championships with Porto.
Pepe, although was born and reared in Brazil, decided to play for Portugal, earning 133 caps since his debut in 2007.
He participated in four FIFA World Cups and as many UEFA European Championships. He was a member of the Euro 2016 champion team and also made it to the semifinals of the Euro 2012 tournament.
In the final of Euro 2016, Pepe was named player of the game.
