Footballers at 40 are often assigned to the ‘Masters’ category. Tournaments involving such players are known less for their competitiveness and more for fun and frolic.
But the World Cup has often proved that there’s room for the golden oldies. Around eight players aged 40 or above have been selected for various nations this time and the notion that over-35 signals the decline of footballing skills and on-field presence is outdated.
This is probably due to their incredible ability to adapt, as well as their mental setup, which is more impressive than their physical attributes.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha unlocked his phone to over a million new Instagram followers after guiding the World Cup debutants to a shock draw with favourites Spain this week. The 40-year-old, who plays for Portuguese second-tier side Chaves, is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet on his World Cup debut and also won the Player of the Match award.
The fanfare over Vozinha refuses to die down. The shot-stopper was in tears come the final whistle, as his teammates embraced him in celebration.
But Vozinha is not alone; over the years, there have been keepers in the ‘Masters’ category who have made their presence felt.
In 1982, at 40 years and 133 days, Dino Zoff’s keeping gloves were just as important as Paolo Rossi’s scoring boots as the former led Italy to World Cup glory for the third time.
Remembered more for the ‘Hand of God’ incident in the quarter-final versus Argentina four decades ago, goalie Peter Shilton was inching closer to 41 while captaining England in the third-place playoff versus Italy in 1990, a game the Englishmen lost 1-2. Shilton quit thereafter, but only after becoming England’s most-capped men’s player with 125 international appearances in his 20-year career.
These big names apart, Egypt’s Essam El-Hadary was 45 during his maiden Cup appearance in 2018 against Saudi Arabia. El-Hadary even saved a penalty in that match, becoming the first African goalkeeper to do so in the competition, alongside being the oldest footballer-cum-Cup debutant that day.
Before El-Hadary’s emergence, Colombian goalie Faryd Mondragon, at 43, was the oldest to play in the Cup when he stood under the bar for his team’s final group-phase game against Japan in 2014. Prior to that, Faryd had last featured in France 1998, which is also the longest a footballer had to wait between two Cup games.
The list doesn’t end here, though. Northern Ireland’s Pat Jennings had just turned 41 when his team faced Brazil in a group-stage game in 1986. Tunisia’s Ali Boumnijel, too, had crossed a couple of months after turning 40 when he played in the 2006 edition
in Germany.
In Houston last Sunday, Manuel Neuer, 40, captained Germany in their rousing campaign opener of the ongoing edition, where they routed debutants Curacao 7-1.
Anticipation
So what exactly is the secret behind delivering at the elite level even in the 40s? “As you grow older, your reflexes go down a little bit, but agility can stay almost intact with the amount of hard work put in, particularly in terms of fitness and discipline.
“Besides, experience comes into play. Precisely, the more experienced a goalkeeper is, the wiser he becomes, especially when it comes to occupying the right positions,” former India goalkeeper Subrata Paul, who used to be called the ‘Spiderman of India’ for his acrobatic saves and who now is the director of the national team, told The Telegraph.
Alongside spatial awareness, anticipation too becomes important for goalkeepers in this age group. “Every year you gain wisdom. You can smell things before they happen,” said Colombian Faryd.
Healthy lifestyle
For El-Hadary, yoga, sauna, ice baths and proper sleep worked wonders, even though these became a part of his daily routine after reaching 30. And yes, he avoided smoking and alcohol as well.
“It’s a routine. The body has to get used to such a rhythm. What also helped me was staying away from cigarettes, shisha and alcohol. Being healthy is a lifestyle,” the Egyptian had emphasised during the course of Russia 2018.
Vozinha’s discipline proved to be an inspiration for the Cape Verde team on their maiden appearance.
They play Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the final two group games, where a win in one of the matches would almost certainly see them book an unexpected spot in the Round of 32.