The best players to continue in the forties

For many people, the forties are when you could start taking things a little easier, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s professional football career is still strong.

The legendary Portuguese striker today turns mature age of 40, but still hits the al-Nassr goals at a similar rate as his time in Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus and does not seem to hang his boots soon.

Ronaldo, of course, is not the first player to still hit after the thirties ended up, and the fifth winner Ballon D’Or followed numerous legendary veterans from the years of the years.

Here are the top five forty -plus players who caught the game.

Romario

Romario took the search for 1,000 career goals to take Brazilian well since the 1940s, reaching for Vasco de Gama 2007.

Although the achievement is somewhat controversial, not the least importantly Ronaldo, who is also chasing 1,000, due to the fact that his sum includes junior goals and friendly, this is certainly not the one for sniffing.

What is not disputed, however, Romario’s extraordinary talents, which helped him to win the 1994 World Cup and is considered one of the largest Brazilian ever.

Initially, he retired in 2008 at the age of 42, briefly returned to play the game for America from Rio de Janeiro a year later, before shaping his boots extraordinarily only last year at the age of 58.

Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon is rightly considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time for not only his talent between the sticks, but also his longevity.

The eccentric plug began his career with Parma in 1995 before he retired with the same club in 2023, at the age of 44, among which he achieved almost everything possible for the club and the country.

Buffon joined Juventus for the 2001 World Recording Washing League, where he won 10 league titles in Turin, as well as the 2006 World Cup with Italy.

He added another league title to his collection with Paris Saint-Germain in 2019 before returning to Juventus and then Parma for two seasons.

Francesco Totti

In Italy, there must be something in the water, which helps players to constantly defy the process of age, and Francesco Totti is undoubtedly one of the best for it.

Again, these are not just his talents as a football player or even his longevity, which he was best remembered, but his loyalty to Roma, where he spent his entire 24-year career and as a result of worshiping as a Roman gladiator.

This loyalty means that the trophies he has won throughout his career, which include only one scudetto and two Coppa Italia victories, is relatively modest compared to others, but Roma fans appreciate it in some way.

Also, the winner of the 2006 World Cup, Totti received his farewell when he hung boots in 2017 at the age of 40, eight months and one day.

Ryan Giggs

As for English football, no one actually approaches Ryan Giggs in terms of the length of time in which they played at the highest level.

Giggs debuted at Manchester United as a 17-year-old in 1991 as part of the famous ‘Class 92’, but continued to surpass all her fellow graduates, collecting a whopping and record 963 appearances for the Red Devils.

Wales International played a key role in all 13 Premier League victories, as well as two Champions League triumphs under Sir Alex Ferguson before retirement one year after the legendary Scottish manager of 2013.

His glittering career ended not before a short spell as a player-manager, while his number of 162 assists in the Premier League is still a competition for competition.

Paolo Maldini

Paolo Maldini was another Italian who proved that the age, only the number he played at AC Milan until the day he retired in 41 2009.

In a 24-year-old career, the central back has played against all similar Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi and Ronalda, along with names like Franco Bares, Ronaldinho and Kaka.

Maldini held a record for the highest serial games with 648 games in the Italian top flight before Buffon broke it. As for the players on the field, it approaches a little.

The defense attorney withdrew from international duties in 2002 without conquering great honor, but more than compensated for in his club career because he won every possible trophy with Rossoneri.