6 Oldest Active Footballers As Gianluigi Buffon Retires at 45

• Kazuyoshi Miura is currently the oldest footballer in the world and is still going strong at 56
• Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon recently announced his retirement from professional footy
• Sports Brief previously looked at the oldest active footballers in the world as of July 2023

Football is a physically and mentally demanding sport as players remain at their peak for only a few seasons.

While some have defied the odds and push their limits, others have been forced to retire due to injuries or simply due to the pressure of the sport.

One example of a footballer going the distance is Gianluigi Buffon, who announced his retirement this month.

Some of the greatest footballers of all time have only needed a couple of years to leave indelible marks in the sport.

For instance, the Brazilian duo of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario did not play for many years at the top level, yet they are still considered two of the greatest of all time.

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Sports Brief looks at some of the oldest active footballers:

The oldest active footballers

1. Kazuyoshi Miura - 56 years

'King Kazu's' career spans a staggering 38 seasons. The Japanese legend has played in Brazil, Japan, Italy, Croatia, Australia, and Portugal, making a total of 792 appearances for both club and country. Miura played 89 times for the Samurai Blue and bagged 55 goals, leading them to victory in the 1992 Asian Cup. He has been on the books at Yokohama FC since 2005.

2. Endō Yasuhito - 43 years

Yasuhito has spent most of his career in Japan with Gamba Osaka. The midfielder has made 963 club appearances and scored 139 goals. He has also played 152 times for the Japanese national team and won two Asian Cups, while also playing at three World Cup tournaments.

3. Roque Santa Cruz - 41 years

Santa Cruz has played for some top clubs in Europe, like Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Blackburn, and Real Betis. The Paraguayan striker has made 724 club appearances and scored 204 goals. He's also made 112 appearances for the national team, scoring 32 goals and featuring in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 1999, 2007, 2011, and 2015 Copa América tournaments. He currently plays for Club Libertad in his native Paraguay.

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4. Cristian Riveros - 40 years

Riveros is Santa Cruz's teammate at Libertad. He has also played his club football in Mexico, England, Türkiye, and Brazil, making 485 appearances at club level. He has played 100 times for the Paraguay national team and played at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, and the 2007 and 2011 Copa América tournaments.

5. Atiba Hutchinson

The Canadian has played most of his career in Europe for clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Besiktas, and FC Copenhagen. No Canuck has more caps (103) than him. He has appeared at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cups. He has also made 640 senior club appearances since he made his debut.

6. Pepe - 40 years

Pepe is one of the best defenders of all time. He has made 702 club appearances for clubs like Real Madrid, Besiktas, Porto, and Maritimo. His time with Los Blancos brought three Champions League trophies and two La Liga crowns. He also won the 2016 European Championship and the 2019 Nations League title with Portugal, per Transfermarkt.

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10 best goalkeepers including Buffon

Sports Brief also reported on the 10 best goalkeepers in football history, following the news that Italian legend, Gianluigi Buffon, had announced his retirement.

The list includes the only shot-stopper to have won the Ballon d'Or and some keepers who etched their name in history with momentous and breathtaking saves.