Five aging players still playing at professional football

Every year, a significant number of legendary football players announce their retirement from the sport. For instance, this summer saw the retirement of true greats such as Buffon and Ibrahimovic. That’s why it’s so remarkable that a few players who were popular 10-15 years ago are still going strong.

Let’s talk about them in this article. It’s worth noting that bookmakers accept bets on all the tournaments where the players in our list participate. To place bets directly from your smartphone, simply indir the mobile app.

Andres Iniesta, 39 years old

Al-Nassr, Saudi Professional League

Watching Xavi on the coaching bench at Barcelona, you couldn’t help but wonder if Iniesta was doing the same somewhere. Their partnership at Barcelona was truly exceptional. Unlike many of his peers, the hero of the 2010 World Cup final is still playing. This summer, the former Barcelona midfielder joined Al-Nassr in the Saudi Professional League as a free agent. Iniesta’s contract is valid until the end of the 2023/24 season. Currently, the Spaniard has scored 1 goal and provided 1 assist in 12 matches for his new club.

Since 2018, Iniesta had been playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan, where he played 134 matches, contributing with 26 goals and 25 assists.

Lucas Podolski, 38 years old

Gornik Zabrze, Polish Ekstraklasa

Podolski played at Euro 2004, which is a fact that may surprise many. The World Cup champion, just like Iniesta, ventured into different leagues after leaving top-level football and spent time at Vissel Kobe, Galatasaray, and Antalyaspor. In 2021, Podolski returned to his parents’ homeland, Germany, to play for Gornik Zabrze in the Polish Ekstraklasa. His team is currently in the lower half of the table, and Podolski has scored 1 goal and provided 2 assists in 12 matches this season.

Miguel Veloso, 37 years old

Pisa, Serie B, Italy

The Portuguese national team player who once played for Dynamo Kyiv – who could have imagined that? Miguel Veloso had already made a name for himself in Europe before moving to the Ukrainian Premier League. For instance, he made his debut for the national team in 2007. After his Ukrainian stint, Veloso had a successful period in Serie A, spending 7 seasons with Genoa and Verona, playing at least two dozen matches in Serie A. However, this summer, Miguel Veloso decided to take a step down.

After his contract with Verona expired, the Portuguese midfielder joined Pisa in Serie B as a free agent. Veloso is one of the most experienced players in the team, and he frequently makes it into the starting lineup. So far this season, he has played 9 matches and provided 1 assist.

Nani, 36 years old

Adana Demirspor, Turkish Süper Lig

Another Portuguese player in this selection. Nani won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United back in 2008. However, in the middle of the last decade, he has traveled to different countries and continents. Nani has played in the USA, Australia, Italy, and even briefly returned to his native Sporting CP. Now, he’s settled in the Turkish Süper Lig. In the summer, he signed a 1+1 contract with Adana Demirspor. It’s his second venture into the Turkish league – in the 2015/16 season, he played 47 matches for Fenerbahçe, scoring 12 goals. In the current season, he has 2 goals and 2 assists in all competitions for his new club.

Federico Marchetti, 40 years old

Hamrun Spartans, Maltese Premier League

40-year-old goalkeepers are no longer a surprise, but Federico has an interesting story. The goalkeeper, who played 3 matches for the Italian national team at the 2010 World Cup, is now playing for the Hamrun Spartans in Malta. What’s more, in the current season, he has played only one match in the local championship. However, he has already played 6 matches in European competitions (2 in Champions League qualification and 4 in Europa League qualification). Marchetti conceded 15 goals in those matches, and his team failed to reach the group stage.

Federico is determined not to retire, despite taking a six-month break not long ago – from July 2022 to January 2023, he was searching for a new club. He rarely made headlines, except for non-sporting reasons. For instance, in January 2021, an employee at a car wash failed to handle Marchetti’s powerful Ferrari, causing a crash for the goalkeeper.