Lionel Messi and football's ageless wonders can excel into their 40s
Quick summary
An opinion piece by Emma Hayes discussing how top footballers like Lionel Messi can continue to perform at the highest level into their 40s, defying conventional expectations about athletic decline.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceArgentina’s captain leads the way for veteran strikers at World Cup. They have different styles, but all have shown their worth
I would be shocked if the record for the most goals scored by a player in a World Cup – Just Fontaine’s 13 in 1958 – is not broken this summer. That is how elite the world’s top forwards are. They are all pushing each other to keep scoring more. We are so lucky to be watching them at the same time.
I also believe, because of the skill set required to be a world-class, modern-day finisher, we are going to see more and more playing into their 40s, so much so that it may be possible that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could go to another World Cup.
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What happened
Emma Hayes writes about the growing phenomenon of elite footballers maintaining world-class performance well into their late 30s and 40s, with Lionel Messi as a central example. The piece explores how modern sports science, nutrition, training methods, and mental approach have extended the careers of top players. Hayes discusses what this trend means for football, including squad planning, the changing perception of veteran players, and how teams can maximize the value of experienced players in major tournaments like the World Cup.
Chance analysis
This editorial reflects a broader trend in modern football where the traditional career arc has been extended through advances in sports science, recovery protocols, and individualized training. For prediction systems, the implication is that age-based assumptions about player decline may need recalibration, particularly for top-tier talents who benefit from elite infrastructure. The piece underscores the increasing value of experience and game intelligence over pure physical attributes in the late stages of tournaments.
No direct match or team impact; the article is a philosophical commentary on player longevity that may inform longer-term squad planning perspectives.
Consider that veteran stars in their late 30s and 40s remain impactful at the highest level, so age-based performance discounts should be calibrated conservatively for elite players.