Reaching professional soccer is difficult, but the most complicated thing is to stay at the top level, and some players have been playing at the elite level for years. As time goes by, the human body wears out and does not respond in the same way as it did in previous years, especially if it is a high-performance sport, which is why few players can remain in the elite for more than two decades.
Physical care and recovery work become something common for veteran players. In addition, they are forced to change their style of playing. The physical and agile game is supplanted by experience and calmness.
Professional breakthroughs and having a great team supporting them help players to stay in the elite. But it always ends up depending solely on the player and how far he can go.
The players know that their bodies are wearing out, Zlatan Ibrahimovic said: “I’m getting older, but I’m still in good shape, so see me on the field while you can, because you’ll never see anything like this again. Enjoy it while it lasts”.
As Kobe Bryant once said, they used to play, especially at the end of their career, thinking that there was someone who was going to see them just that one time. “There are 50,000 people, but there is one who will see me onlytoday”. That’s how cracks who are at the end of their career play. And many of them are key players in their teams.
Veteran players with most minutes played this season
10. Luka Modric – Real Madrid
The Croatian is a key player in Real Madrid’s performance. The 36-year-old midfielder is one of the team’s referents and is a starter in the vast majority of matches. According to Transfermarkt, Modric has played 1,738 minutes in 23 matches.
9. Alvaro Negredo – Cadiz CF
The 36-year-old Spaniard is at a great level. So far this season, he has scored six goals, positioning him as the team’s top scorer. Negredo has played 1,795 minutes in 28 games.
8. Burak Yilmaz – LOSC Lille
The Turkish striker has played 1,893 minutes in 27 matches of32 Ligue 1 Matchdays. In addition, the 36-year-old has scored 4 goals so far in the competition.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United
Undoubtedly, the Portuguese is one of the great figures of soccer. Despite not always being a starter, Cristiano Ronaldo has played 2,009 minutes in 25 matches. The 37-year-old player is the team’s top scorer with 15 goals.
6. Raul Albiol- Villarreal CF
The 36-year-old defender has been a starter for Villarreal for several seasons, and despite his age, his level has not decreased. The Spanish captain has played 2,025 minutes in 23 games.
5. Thiago Silva – Chelsae FC
The Brazilian left PSG because he was not going to be taken into account due to his age, however, he signed for Chelsea and there his age did not work against him. The 37-year-old defender is an important player in the team and in 25 games he has accumulated 2,064 minutes.
4. Edin Dzeko – Inter
Despite his age, at 36 the Serbian made a leap in quality in his career. He joined Inter, which was the last Serie A champion. The striker usually makes an offensive duo with Lautaro Martinez and accumulates 2,161 minutes in 30 games played. Dzeko is the second top scorer of the team, with 13 goals scored.
3. Dante – Niza
The Brazilian has only missed two games in the entire season. He has 29 games out of 32, anda total of 2,467 minutes. Of course, at 38 years of age, he is the team captain.
2. Anthony Losilla – VfL Bochum
Anthony Losilla is a French footballer who plays as a midfielder for VfL Boch in the Bundesliga. At the age of 36, he is the team captain and has played 2,487 minutes in 28 matches.
1. Jose Fonte – LOSC Lille
The Portuguese is the veteran with the most games played so far this season. At 38 years of age, he has not missed a single match of the tournament, he has played 2,790 minutes in 32 matches. Apart from being a key player for the team, he is the captain.