Ronaldo and Messi shape the "Forever Young" generation

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are celebrated for setting World Cup records. At the same time, mature superstars such as Ronaldo, Messi, Manuel Neuer and Luka Modric are emblematic of a striking age trend in top-class football. While professional players in their early 30s used to be discontinued models, a large group of significantly older national team players now dominate the tournament scene. To put it bluntly, a new piece of football wisdom applies: 40 is the new 30.

Portugal's Ronaldo is 41 years old, while Argentina's Messi is celebrating his 39th birthday during the tournament. Like Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (40), the two serial world footballers are playing in their sixth World Cup. When the main protagonists of the "Generation Forever" Young first appeared in the World Cup spotlight in 2006, Spain's star Lamine Yamal had not even been born yet.

20 years later, Messi and Ronaldo, Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (40), Croatia's eternal conductor Modric (40) and Bosnia's icon Edin Dzeko (40) are still making their mark.

Age remains a factor

"20 years ago, an outfield player in his mid-30s was almost automatically considered 'old'. Today, with Messi, Ronaldo and Neuer, we see athletes who appear biologically much younger than their passport age," says German sports physician Hans-Georg Predel. A "large generation of world stars" have extended their careers "far beyond what used to be possible in top-level football".

Whether there really is a major change in the course of a career has not been scientifically proven. Age remains a risk factor for injuries. Joints, tendons and ligaments reach their limits after years of strain.

However, professional football today is organized very differently than it used to be. Nutrition, load management, prevention, sleep, data-based work and, and, and - the progress has been enormous. "Teams used to train collectively. Today, each player is managed individually, almost like a Formula 1 project," says Predel. In addition, the extended career times are also due to the system, such as the structural professionalization in the youth training centers, where prospective professionals learn how to eat properly and regenerate at the age of 12 or 13.

More and more Methuselahs

The age of the World Cup Methuselahs is certainly impressive. The oldest outfield player remains the legendary Roger Milla, who played for Cameroon in the USA in 1994 at the age of 42. Two goalkeepers were even older: Egyptian and former Sion player Essam El-Hadary (45, World Cup 2018) and Colombia's Faryd Mondragon (43, World Cup 2014). Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon (43) could also join this ranks at the 2026 World Cup.

The statistics underline the trend: while there were less than a dozen over-35 players in the squads around Italy's goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff at the 1982 World Cup, the number has generally risen from tournament to tournament. There have never been more than three dozen old stars in the 2026 World Cup squad.

However, despite their professionalism and attitude, even superstars cannot overcome natural limits. "Maximum sprinting ability, explosiveness and regeneration speed gradually decline biologically from around the age of 30. What top players achieve today is above all a delay in this process," says Predel. It also helps Messi and Ronaldo that they play in less competitive leagues in the USA and Saudi Arabia.

Experience and leadership

Experience is also invaluable, and routine and leadership are particularly in demand at World Cups. "Experience and match intelligence have become increasingly valuable in modern football. A player like Messi partially compensates for age-related losses with outstanding technique, anticipation and efficiency. In a way, the game has become more intelligent as a result," says Predel.

As the World Cup record player, Messi can increase the number of appearances from the current 26. Three goals separate him from the 16 of the German World Cup record goalscorer Miroslav Klose. With 226 caps, Ronaldo is the international record holder going into the World Cup countdown.