SP. The 15 best players in world football right now aged 35 and over have been ranked – in order

• Age no longer limits footballers’ careers, exemplified by players like Ronaldo, Messi, and Modric.
• Top players above 35 continue to excel, challenging traditional views on ageing in football.
• Examples include top scorers like Benzema and Lewandowski, showcasing skill, resilience, and longevity.

In sports, as in life, the biggest barrier to longevity is age. But while in football, some players retire early, there are just as many nowadays, in a world that revolves around health and fitness, that prove age is just a number. Like a fine wine, some footballers seem to have an eternal youth, and it’s difficult to envision them ever hanging up their boots.

Not long ago, reaching the age of 35 often signalled a player’s impending transition away from the pitch. However, this perception has shifted dramatically. Below, we explore the 15 best players who continue to score, assist, and secure clean sheets well past that milestone, proving that age is no longer a limitation in football. Their impressive performances challenge the traditional views of ageing athletes, showcasing resilience and skill at an advanced stage of their careers.

10 Henrikh Mikhitaryan – Inter Milan

Age: 35

Henrikh Mikhitaryan’s career took an exciting turn in the summer of 2022 when he joined Inter Milan, following a period where he struggled to get to grips with Premier League football with Manchester United and Arsenal. During his first season in the iconic black and blue jersey, he made 49 appearances and netted five goals, including a pivotal strike in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against AC Milan.

Since then, the Armenian international has demonstrated that he is becoming quicker and more effective as he ages. In the 2023/24 season, he recorded eight assists in the Serie A, helping Inter Milan clinch the Italian title. Now, at 35 years old, he has already played in every league match this season, showing his heels to his inconstant shifts at Old Trafford and the Emirates.

9 Yann Sommer – Inter Milan

Age: 35

Clearly, there’s something special happening at Inter Milan. Another player from their ranks is Yann Sommer, who, at 35 years old, logged 451 minutes this summer as Switzerland’s reliable number one heading into Euro 2024.

It was only two seasons ago, in the 2022/23 season, that Sommer broke the Bundesliga’s single-game saves record with 19 saves in a match against Bayern Munich. Now the main man between the sticks for Zimone Inzaghi’s side, he continues to show he’s one of the most reliable glove-bearers in Europe as Inter Milan sit comfortably in second after 10 games where the Swiss has played every minute.

8 Karim Benzema – Al-Ittihad

Age: 36

Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid, Karim Benzema really stepped up and reminded everyone just how good can be when he isn’t in the shadow of another. His Ballon d’Or triumph in 2022 was the culmination in a very impressive career, but he hasn’t slowed down now that he’s moved on from Los Blancos and is plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.

Sure, things didn’t get off to a convincing start at Al-Ittihad, but he’s soon turned that around and is back to his best right now. Across games for Madrid, the Saudi Pro League side and France, Benzema has scored and assisted 184 goals over the last five years. This season alone, he has already found the back of the net eight times in as many games.

7 Thomas Muller – Bayern Munich

Age: 35

Thomas Muller’s Bayern Munich career could well have been over in 2008, had Louis van Gaal not noticed the forward’s ability to “interpret space”. Now 35, Muller’s had well over a decade to investigate the pockets that defenders won’t pick him up in. The German is part of the furniture in the Bundesliga and still as dangerous as he ever has been.

You may not see him run often, and sometimes, you may not even notice he’s on the pitch at all. But football purists will tell you how influential he is, and with him still rivalling the likes of Jamal Musiala for a start in a Champions League-chasing side, that should be enough to demonstrate just how good he still is.

6 Luis Suarez – Inter Miami

Age: 37

Nicknamed “El Pistolero” (“The Gunman”), Luis Suarez is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest strikers of all time. And while he’s no longer firing Barcelona to silverware, the goals continue to flow despite nearing his 38th birthday.

In 2024, the recently-retired Uruguayan international has 21 goals and nine assists in 28 MLS games, which is simply astonishing. Once upon a time, across the pond was seen in the same light as Saudi Arabia is now, but players like Suarez have put it on the map in emphatic fashion.

5 Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr

Age: 39

Cristiano Ronaldo is almost 40, but his numbers in the Saudi Pro League are those of a clinical finisher in his prime. The Portuguese superstar scored 35 league goals in 31 games during the 2023/24 season to win the golden boot. It’s no shock, either, as Ronaldo is the top goalscorer in the history of football.

He has now played over 1200 games at club level and is the only player to have registered over 900 goals in that time. The 39-year-old transitioned from being a skillful winger to a prolific centre-forward many years ago and has never looked back, as he has found the net wherever he’s gone. Ronaldo was a huge part of Real Madrid’s four Champions League wins during his time in Spain, and his adoring fans still see him in the same light.

4 Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich

Age: 38

Still serving as his club and country’s captain, there aren’t many more talented goalkeepers around – if any – than the wonderful Manuel Neuer. The German reinvented the meaning of ‘sweeper-keeper’ in his prime as he led both Bayern Munich and Germany to glory. The 2014 World Cup winner is still one of the best number ones in the world despite his autumnal age.

Still quick off his line, the shot-stopper will likely play into his 40s at the highest level. At 38 years old, the Germany international has kept well over 200 clean sheets from more than 500 games for the Bavarian club. When he finally decided to hang up his iconic gloves, Neuer will go down as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the sport.

3 Luka Modric – Real Madrid

Age: 39

It initially appeared as though Luka Modric may have been nearing an end at the elite level as his Real Madrid contract was set to expire in the summer of 2024, but the tireless midfielder was rewarded with a new short-term contract. he has been sensational ever since his arrival at Los Blancos from Tottenham over a decade ago.

Alongside Toni Kroos, the Croatian was instrumental in his club’s unprecedented run of Champions League success. He’s got the joint-most triumphs in the premier European competition, having lifted the trophy five times. Modric is among the best midfielders to have graced a football pitch and is certainly among the greatest Champions League players of all time, as one of only two players to win the Ballon d’Or besides Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during their 17-year duopoly.

2 Lionel Messi – Inter Miami

Age: 37

If you’ve watched Harry Potter or any other fantastical movie series, then you’d know wizards don’t age. This is certainly true again when speaking about Lionel Messi. He finally completed football with a historic World Cup win in 2022, completing his trophy collection which includes many La Liga titles, Ligue 1 trophies and domestic cups. The Barcelona legend broke all sorts of records during his career, including his 91-goal haul in 2012, and he is one of only three players to win a Ballon d’Or aged 35 or over.

After departing Europe in 2023, the little magician instantly elevated the fortunes of Inter Miami as he was a vital part of the club’s first ever trophy win. Messi controls games with his intelligent movement and out of this world vision. The 37-year-old plays the game with an elegance that the majority of players can only dream of, and it’s down to this grace that he’s able to continue performing at the level that he does.

1 Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona

Age: 36

There’s so many superlatives to use when it comes to Robert Lewandowski. The Polish marksman could quite possibly be the best forward in world football right now, and his numbers this season have been nothing short of sensational as Barcelona discover the perfect balance of youth and wisdom to outshine their Real Madrid counterparts.

14 goals in 11 La Liga appearances says everything about Lewandowski’s longevity, as his tally includes a quickfire double in the El Clasico as La Blaugranes stormed into a six-point lead at the top of the standings.