Yesterday, AC Milan officially announced a one-year extension with Swedish striker Ibrahimovic to continue his impressive career. The legendary Swede proved in his thirties that when age is combined with talent and dedication, age is just a number. When Zlatan's contract with Milan expired, he was in his 40s. And in the history of football, there is no shortage of players who can maintain good form until the age of 40, let's take a look at the wonderful performances of 15 veterans.
15.Chira Miura (Japan)
By far the oldest player on this list. Miura was still playing soccer in his fifties. Born in 1967, the Japanese legend joined Genoa for a season in 1994-95, becoming the first Serie A player from Japan. He also played for Dinamo Zagreb in the late 1990s. Miura is now in his fifth decade as a professional player, having spent most of his time playing in his home country and currently playing for Yokohama FC in the J-League.
14. Claudio Pizarro (Peru)
The Peruvian striker did not retire until he turned 42 last summer, and before leaving the stadium he was still making his bundesliga appearances for Bremen. He didn't score in his final season at the club, but in 2018-19 he did successfully send football into the net five times in just 673 minutes of playing time, more than he scored for Chelsea at the age of 29.
13. Marco Balotta (Italy)
Balotta, the oldest player ever to play in the Champions League, played in all six group games of Lazio's 2007-08 season as a starting goalkeeper at the age of 43. The goalkeeper has spent most of his career as a substitute for inter, parma, Brescia and Lazio. It was injuries at the Blue Eagles, Peruzi and Serenazi that gave Balota the opportunity to experience Europe's top races. He retired at the end of the season and celebrated his 44th birthday.
12. Verjo Verde (Italy)
Verjo verde is arguably one of the greatest Italian defenders of all time, and without a doubt the most ferocious. A staring player so fast, strong and efficient, Maradona once called him the "Incredible Hulk". Verjoward maintained an astonishingly high level until he was in his 40s. In 1996, at the age of 37, he won the Champions League with Juventus, signed for Milan in the summer of the same year, and at the dawn of the new millennium, he continued to start for Piacenza. He eventually retired in the summer of 2000 , when he was 41 years old.
11. Hilton (England)
Hilton still had a high level of stability in his 40s, retiring after playing a total of 1,000 league games for different clubs. He guarded the goal for England in the semi-finals of the 1990 Fifaccia world cup in Italy at the age of 40, making 125 appearances for the Three Lions, which is still the record number of appearances for the national team. In 1997, at the age of 47, he retired after spending a season at Leiden Orient.
10. Totti (Italy)
Totti is a player who has only played for the same club all his life, a man born and raised in Rome, who has played for the club for a quarter of a century. Totti's last season at the club coincided with his 40th birthday, yet he was at loggerheads with manager Spalletti, who was trying to get the club out of his tortti era. Neither Totti nor roma fans were ready to say goodbye, but it was finally in May 2017 that Totti stepped onto the olympic pitch for the last time, playing 36 minutes against Genoa. He played just 363 minutes of play in his final season, scoring two goals and assisting three times, which shows that even at the age of 40, he can still make a difference.
9. Mira (Cameroon)
Mira rose to fame at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, when the 38-year-old scored four times in the tournament. Cameroon is the biggest dark horse of this World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals with his goals. Four years later, Mira returned from retirement and once again led the African Lions to the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He made history as the oldest goal scorer at the World Cup, scoring his only goal in a 6-1 win over Russia. Cameroon was eliminated in the group stage this time, but Mira's historical status is unquestionable.
8. Sheringham (England)
Sheringham has maintained a high level even in his early 40s, and he still holds the record for the oldest goalscorer in Premier League history, at 40 years and 272 days. Sheringham, one of the mainstays of the Premier League's first 15 years, opened his Premier League goals account on a Sunday in August 1992. Sheringham appears to be getting better with age and was named FWA Player of the Year when he played for Manchester United at the age of 35 in 2000-01. He won most of his England national team appearances after the age of 30 and played until the end of the 2007-08 season, retiring at the age of 42.
7. Matthews (England)
One of England's greatest players of all time and arguably their greatest winger of all time, Matthews played into his fifties and his last appearance for Stoke City came after his 50th birthday in February 1965. In 1956, Matthews won his first Ballon d'Or and had an extraordinary career of 35 years.
6. Zoff (Italy)
Zoff was considered Italy's best goalkeeper for years (until another legend on this list finally replaced him). He was 40 years old when he won the World Cup with the Italian national team in the summer of 1982, and in 1968 he won Italy's only European title. This made him the only Italian to receive both honors. Zoff was very stable, winning numerous league titles at Juventus and his only UEFA Cup in 1977. His last match for the Bianconeri was a 1-0 defeat to Hamburg in the 1983 European Champions League final.
5. Romario (Brazil)
One of the greatest finishers in the history of football, Romario, who has been wandering for half his life, played until his 40s and scored easily wherever he went. At the age of 40, Romario was still playing in miami FC, the second tier in the United States. Under the guidance of fellow Brazilian legend Zico, Romario scored 19 goals in 25 games. After that, Romario continued to play for several years, including another season at Vasco da Gama, and continued to score goals. He eventually retired in 2009 at the age of 43, and he is one of the few players in football history who has ever scored goals on five different continents.
4. Zanetti (Argentina)
Zanetti seemed like a cold perpetual motion machine, spending almost 20 years flipping up and down Inter's side roads, barely missing a single game in his entire club career. Zanetti moved to the Nerazzurri in 1995 and was Moratti's greatest signing ever. He spent 19 years at Inter before retiring in 2014 at the age of 41, after playing in 858 matches and winning a slew of accolades. Zanetti is a rare all-rounder who can play anywhere in midfield and backline.
3. Buffon (Italy)
Buffon made his debut on November 17, 1995, and 25 years later he is still at his highest level. While Buffon was a substitute after returning to Juventus in 2019, he always showed up when needed. He has already expressed a desire to play for another two years until 2023.
2. Giggs (Wales)
Giggs adjusted his style of play to extend the highest level of his career. When he was in his 30s, the young arrogant and energetic winger suddenly changed, and he became more rational ever since. Hard yoga also helped Giggs prolong his career, and under sir Alex Ferguson, giggs was one of the most iconic members of Ferguson's greatest Manchester United era. In 2014, at the age of 41, Giggs retired and made more than a thousand appearances for the club, winning more than 20 major honours.
1. Paolo Maldini (Italy)
A model of consistency and elegance. Paulo Maldini was a mainstay at Milan until the end of the 2008-09 season, when he was 41 years old. The Italian didn't always enjoy a relationship with Milan fans, but in his 24-year career he gave everything for the shirt. He has played with many football superstars, from Maradona to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Maldini previously held the record for the most appearances in Serie A until it was broken by Buffon. It's a pity for Maldini that he never won any trophies in the Italian national team – losing two finals – but he made up for it at club level, winning everything at rossonery.