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Jun 22, 2026
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Ronaldo and other ageing stars push limits to make history at World Cup 2026

AI Summary
Several ageing football stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are set to play in the 2026 World Cup, pushing the limits of career longevity in football. Advances in sport science, data collection, and a focus on health and wellness have helped extend careers, but experts argue that culture, relationships, and motivation also play a crucial role.

The Ageing Stars of World Cup 2026

After playing at Qatar 2022 at age 35, US national team defender Tim Ream thought it was “pretty unlikely” he could play in another World Cup. But he decided he would at least try to stay in the game as long as possible.

“Because for me, it’s about pushing boundaries, pushing myself, pushing the limits of what I can physically and emotionally handle,” he told Al Jazeera.

Advances in Sport Science

Last week, Ream was named as the US’s captain for the upcoming football tournament in North America and, at 38, is the oldest ever outfield player in a US World Cup squad.

Ream, who played for Bolton Wanderers and Fulham in the Premier League and is now at Major League Soccer (MLS) side Charlotte FC, is one of several outfield players in their late 30s and beyond at the 2026 World Cup; including Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, the 40-year-olds Luka Modric and Edin Dzeko, Yuto Nagatomo, 39, and Argentina legend Lionel Messi, who turns 39 later this month.

The Data Analysis

Evolving sport science plays a significant role in extending career longevity – the days when “recovery” meant having a few beers after the game are long gone, and many players now extoll all kinds of developments from lymphatic draining to cryotherapy.

Huge amounts of data measuring biomarkers from heart rate variability and muscle oxygenation to hormonal fluctuations and inflammation are also now available, including from wearable technology.

The Impact Analysis

But experts argue that sport science is just part of a complex system of interlocking factors needed to extend longevity in football, including culture, relationships, a learning mindset, luck, resources, and the motivation to keep going into a fifth decade.

“It’s not just about the science, or machines, or AI,” Vlatko Vucetic, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Zagreb who has worked as a personal trainer with Croatian and ex-Real Madrid midfielder Modric for more than 10 years, told Al Jazeera.

“This question is always about people.”

The Prediction

Looking ahead, Ben Rosenblatt, the lead performance coach for the England men’s team for seven years says putting the huge amount of available data together to create a more holistic picture of a player could be “transformative” for longevity.

“That’s kind of the Holy Grail, because you can give clarity to a manager or an owner game by game or across the course of a season about what the player is capable of delivering, and then obviously what development they require,” he said.