Messi eyes World Cup '26 and playing past 40 like Ibra, Modrić, CR7 🤩

Lionel Messi’s contract renewal with Inter Miami will see the Argentine champion play until 2028, when he will be 41 years old.

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Such longevity has sparked speculation about the role “La Pulce” (The Flea) will play during the 2026 World Cup . “It would be extraordinary,” said the player, “but I’d like to be in good shape and play an important role to help my national team, if I’m there.”

With his renewal, Lionel Messi could soon join an exclusive club: that of players who have played at a high level past the age of 40.

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Let’s take a look at who they are, excluding goalkeepers from our list, as their position is traditionally longer-lived than outfield players.

Of course, the first name on this list is Lionel Messi’s great rival, Cristiano Ronaldo , who turned 40 last February and continues to chase records, in pursuit of his 1,000th official career goal.

The contract tying the Portuguese star to Saudi club Al-Nassr is a two-year deal signed in the summer, so CR7 is aiming to play at least until he’s 42. He’s the third player ever in terms of appearances, having almost reached 1,300.

The only player able to break the Ballon d’Or duopoly during the era when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated world football: Luka Modrić turned 40 in September and doesn’t seem to feel it, judging by the quality of performances he’s delivering for Milan after joining Serie A.

Another great rival of Lionel Messi during the golden era, Zlatan Ibrahimović continued playing until the age of 41, retiring four months before turning 42.

After turning 40, Ibra had just returned to Milan , and in the Rossoneri shirt he became the fourth Serie A player to score past the age of forty (after Costacurta, Piola, and Vierchowod), as well as scoring his 300th career goal and, as a protagonist, winning the Scudetto.

An indestructible player, made even more so by his eternal boyish looks, Javier Zanetti played his last competitive match in June 2014, three months before turning 41, after being an icon and legend of Inter.

His longevity would have allowed him to become the fourth player ever to reach 1,100 appearances.

Another eternal icon, Paolo Maldini ended his career in 2009, one month before turning 41.

His retirement was made bittersweet by unpleasant banners dedicated to him by the Milan curva, despite being the third player ever for appearances with the same team (over 900).

Speaking of icons, one cannot fail to mention Francesco Totti, another player who, like Maldini, dedicated his entire career to a single club. His career ended in 2017, four months before he turned 41, not without controversy.

The one-year renewal granted to “Il Pupone” by the American management and disagreements with coach Luciano Spalletti marked the end of the Roma number 10’s career, who reached his 100th appearance in European competitions at 40 years and 23 days old.

Pepe, the Portuguese defender, ended his career by announcing his retirement in August 2024 and played until the ripe age of 41, a feat that allowed him to break several records, including that of the oldest outfield player ever to take the field in a Champions League match, having faced Arsenal at the venerable age of 41 years and 15 days.

He’s also the oldest player ever to have played in a European Championship, having appeared for Portugal at Euro 2024.

Ryan Giggs ended his career in 2014 at 41 years and six months. Notably, he’s among the very few players to have played his entire career with a single club, in his case Manchester United. With 963 matches, he’s the outfield player with the most appearances for the same team in history.

Roger Milla is the oldest player ever to have participated in a World Cup : he had retired from the Cameroon national team in 1992, but was recalled two years later, at the age of 42, to play in the 1994 USA World Cup .

His career was very long-lived, as he played until he was 46 in Indonesia.

He was one of the greatest players of his era: Stanley Matthews was a legend of English football, making his debut for Stoke in 1932 and ending his career with the same club in 1965, at the age of 50. That same year, he also made his last appearance for the England national team.

They are not the only great champions to have played past the age of 40. Here are a few more names:

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

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