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In the hit TV show "Ted Lasso," there was an ongoing joke that the grumpy soccer legend Roy Kent -- who was supposed to be in his late 30s or early 40s -- was past his prime.
By these standards, Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Portugal) and Lionel Messi (about to turn 39, Argentina) are old. But the two superstars are still kicking it in the 2026 FIFA World Cup -- and they're not the only "old" professional footballers playing in the tournament.
There are at least seven other players who are at least 40. Most are goalkeepers: Josimar Jose Evora Dias, better known as Vozinha (40, Cape Verde); Guillermo Ochoa (40, Mexico); Manuel Neuer (40, Germany); Fernando Muslera (40, Uruguay); and Craig Gordon (43, Scotland). Playing in other positions are Luka Modrić (40, Croatia) and Edin Džeko (40, Bosnia and Herzegovina). In other professional leagues, like in Japan and Ukraine, there are players nearing 60.
Advances in training and recovery are major factors enabling professional athletes to continue playing into middle age, said Sami Rifat, MD, director of sport and exercise medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, who has also worked with the Premier League in England. And it's a trend not confined to the soccer (or football) pitch.
