Ronaldo, Zlatan, Iniesta: Epic XI of players aged 36 and over goes viral

Keeping up with the pace of modern football at an elite level is no easy task, particularly once a player hits their 35th birthday.

It’s at this point that most begin to seriously plan for life after the game, with retirement soon on the horizon.

However, a select few have resisted the call of father time to hang up their boots and have continued to thrive well into their 36th year and beyond, with some even playing on past the age of 40.

An XI put together by B/R Football featuring football’s top veterans has recently gone viral – and it’s packed full of talent.

We’ve taken a look at their line-up in full below.

GK: Gianluigi Buffon | 44 years old

The second tier of Italian football might not be the pinnacle of the game, but legendary Italian shot-stopper Buffon has still appeared 26 times for Parma this season. Amazingly, he even signed a two-year contract extension back in February.

RB: Dani Alves | 39 years old

Having quit Brazilian side Sao Paulo back in September over a wage dispute, Alves has sensationally returned to his former club Barcelona to work alongside ex-teammate (and now Barca coach) Xavi.

CB: Pepe | 39 years old

Pepe might be rapidly heading towards his 40th birthday but he’s still lifting trophies, having won the Primeira Liga with Porto earlier this month. His conduct hasn’t necessarily improved with age, either. The former Real Madrid man was sent off back in February for his role in a 40-man brawl!

CB: Thiago Silva | 37 years old

Paris Saint-Germain refused to offer Silva a two-year contract back in 2020, as they feared his days as a top-level defender were behind him. A couple of seasons later, the Brazilian is still going strong at Chelsea and has signed on for another 12 months at Stamford