Football’s Ageless Icons: Best Players Over 35 Ranked by Stats

Cristiano Ronaldo - The Goalscoring Machine

Even at the age of 40, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be an extraordinarily long-lived footballer, albeit in a less prestigious league. The Al-Nassr star recently broke another record, scoring his 41st goal in World Cup qualifying and extending his international tally to 143. Since the age of 35, he has won the Serie A Golden Boot with 29 goals for Juventus, becoming the first man to score in five World Cups and surpassing 850 career goals. In Saudi Arabia, he was the league's top scorer and was named Player of the Season, showing that he still copes well under pressure. His unrivaled discipline, physical fitness and tank mentality is something we rarely see in footballers, and it's not for nothing that he is considered one of the greatest footballers in history.

Lionel Messi - The Legends

Of course, we had to include Ronaldo's rival. At 38, Lionel Messi remains a footballing genius. The Inter Miami captain still dribbles with a rare ease as if the years had never passed, his left foot still as good as it was 10 years ago. While Ronaldo continues to break records, Messi has already won football's ultimate prize, winning the World Cup at the age of 35, leading Argentina to glory in 2022 with seven goals and the Ballon d'Or, something his rival has not been able to do. Since the age of 35, the Argentine has added a League Cup title and a Supporters' Shield in the US, but has yet to win the title. With over 130 international goals, he is almost behind Ronaldo. We can say that the difference is millimetres between Ronaldo and Messi, but still, the Argentine falls to second place in this list.

Emerging Names – Modric, Lewandowski, Neuer

Luka Modrić is 40 years old and continues to be a metronome in football. After joining AC Milan on a free transfer in July 2025, fulfilling his childhood dream of arriving at the San Siro, the Croatian maestro made history by becoming the oldest Serie A debutant, but was still praised for his composure and precision in Milan's opening match, a 2-1 win over Cremonese. His arrival instantly reshaped Milan's rhythm; every pass, every run completely altered the game. For Croatia, he remains the metronome and the one who polished a new generation with the same serenity that brought him the Ballon d'Or in 2018.

In a slightly different vein, Robert Lewandowski (36) continues to rewrite the intelligence of being a true goalscorer at Barcelona, while Manuel Neuer (39), despite major injuries, continues to set the modern standard for goalkeepers with his style of being a sweeper keeper, perhaps even among the first of the modern era.

Karim Benzema – The Late-Blooming Leader

Karim Benzema continues to age like fine wine at 37. The Ballon d’Or winner took his brilliance from Madrid to the Saudi Professional League, where his arrival transformed Al-Ittihad. Appointed captain in 2023, he endured a difficult first season, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists in a bizarre campaign marked by three managerial changes. But under Frenchman Laurent Blanc, Benzema rediscovered his brilliance. In the 2024-25 season, he led Al-Ittihad to a historic domestic double, scoring 21 goals and providing nine assists as the team won the league with 77 points, then lifted the Saudi King’s Cup. Named Player of the Season, Benzema reminded everyone that his intelligence and timing still define matches. Karim knew how to reinvent himself in Saudi Arabia, but even before that, he knew how to step out of Ronaldo's shadow.