In the high-octane world of football, where youth and vitality are often seen as the most coveted assets, a group of remarkable athletes defy the norms, captivating fans with their enduring talent and unwavering passion for the game.
These players, the venerable statesmen of the pitch, have not only surpassed expectations, but have also set a benchmark for longevity in a sport that demands the utmost physical and mental fitness.
To celebrate their incredible journeys, Football FanCast compiled a list of the top 10 oldest active football players in the world in 2024…
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1
Kazuyoshi Miura
UD Oliveirense
Centre-forward
57
2
Georgi Petkov
Slavia Sofia
Goalkeeper
47
3
Dragan Jolovic
FK Alfa Modrica
Centre-back
47
4
Ahmad Korhani
AC Tripoli
Goalkeeper
45
5
Nasir Chowdhury
Chittagong Abahani
Centre-back
44
6
Ferreira Pinto
AC Ponte San Pietro
Right-winger
44
7
Rhys Griffiths
Penybont FC
Centre-forward
44
8
Cesar Medina
Alianza FC Panama
Centre-forward
43
9
Ilion Lika
KF Tirana
Goalkeeper
43
10
Joel Pinto
Sport Huancayo
Goalkeeper
43
10 Joel Pinto (Sport Huancayo) 43 years old
Joel Pinto still finds himself between the sticks at the ripe old age of 43 in the Peruvian first division.
He's started the last three games for current side Sport Huancayo, with one of these appearances coming in the Copa Sudamericana against Cesar Vallejo recently.
The goalkeeper has taken his career tally to a whopping 412 games, with 130 clean sheets over this time.
9 Ilion Lika (KF Tirana) 43 years old
If you don't feel old yet, you definitely will now, as Ilion Lika appeared for the Albanian national side all the way back in 2002 and still plays his football for Albanian outfit KF Tirana today.
He's appeared seven times this season, including in a Europa Conference League qualifier, but is yet to keep a clean sheet.
Despite being active since the early 2000s, he's only on 342 appearances for his career.
8 Cesar Medina (Alianza FC Panama) 43 years old
Cesar Medina is a striker who plays his football in his home country, Panama, for Alianza FC.
He's made just four appearances this season, with one goal to show. However, Medina is the most loyal player on this list, having stayed at Alianza throughout his career and racked up 147 appearances for them. He even appeared once for the Panama national side.
7 Rhys Griffiths (Penybont FC) 44 years old
Rhys Griffiths is a centre-forward who currently plays his football for Welsh Cymru Premier side Penybont FC.
Although he is still an active player, he's yet to appear for the Welsh club this season, despite being on the substitutes' bench in 11 games.
The 44-year-old's career has spanned over 313 games, in which he has netted 199 goals. He appeared for English side Plymouth Argyle 17 times and also had a stint at Newport County.
6 Ferreira Pinto (AC Ponte San Pietro) 44 years old
Winger Ferreira Pinto is now 44 years of age, and has still managed to make 23 appearances so far this season in the fourth tier of Italian football.
He's actually enjoyed a pretty respectable career, which has spanned 686 games, including stints at Atalanta and Lecce.
5 Nasir Chowdhury (Chittagong Abahani) 44 years old
Nasir Chowdhury is still fighting fit over in the Bangladesh Premier League for Chittagong Abahani, where he has made five appearances and scored one goal so far this season.
He's only ever played in his home country and has racked up 132 appearances over the years, as well as 14 goals from centre-back.
4 Ahmad Korhani (AC Tripoli) 45 years old
Now, moving higher up the list with Ahmad Korhani at 45 years of age.
The goalkeeper currently plays his football at Lebanese side AC Tripoli and has made seven appearances this season. He's managed to keep three clean sheets in this time and has conceded just five goals.
3 Dragan Jolovic (FK Alfa Modrica) 47 years old
Dragan Jolovic is still going strong in the second division in Bosnia and Herzegovina at FK Alfa Modrica.
He's appeared 18 times at the heart of the defence and has one goal to show for himself. He's now appeared in over 300 games in his football career, including in Champions League qualifiers, and doesn't look like slowing down anytime soon.
2 Georgi Petkov (Slavia Sofia) 47 years old
Georgi Petkov is a highly decorated goalkeeper whose career began all the way back in the late 1990s. He's amassed an impressive 400 appearances, which includes performances in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League.
He made his debut for the Bulgarian national side all the way back in 1998, and went on to make 19 appearances for his country.
Nowadays, the 47-year-old plays his football for Slavia Sofia, a side in the Bulgarian top flight.
1 Kazuyoshi Miura (UD Oliveirense) 57 years old
At number one, we have a player who has become a bit of a legendary figure, known for his determination to keep playing the game we love.
Kazuyoshi Miura is currently 57 years of age, playing his football at Portuguese second-division side Oliveirense. Though, this season isn't exactly going great for the striker as he's yet to score in five appearances, but who can knock him at his age?
The crazy thing is, he's been playing since the early 1980s with other stints in Brazil, Japan, Italy and Australia. In this time, he's managed to amass 709 appearances and scored 193 goals. But arguably the most impressive stat is his goalscoring record on the international stage for Japan, as he netted a whopping 55 goals in 89 games.
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