From bona fide heroes to iconic journeymen, some of your favourite players from the 2000s and 2010s are still out there – boots laced, refusing to quit. These are the players you thought were retired, but are continuing to play late into their 30s and 40s.
Lukas Podolski, 40 (Gornik Zabrze)
Few players could hit a ball as cleanly as Lukas Podolski. The German forward became a cult hero thanks to his thunderous left foot and his infectious personality. He played for Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Galatasaray and even had a stint in Japan.
In 2021 – when he was 36 – Podolski completed his dream move to Gornik Zabrze, the club just three miles away from where he was born. Having represented Germany throughout his professional career, this move was a nod back to his Polish roots.
He has since signed another contract and doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. Podolski was part of a consortium seeking to buy the club, so expect the forward’s love affair with Gornik Zabrze to continue long after he hangs up his boots.
Roque Santa Cruz, 44 (Club Libertad Asuncion)
Having made his professional debut in the 1990s, Santa Cruz is still leading the line for Libertad in Paraguay aged 44. He isn’t as prolific as he once was and is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in 2025, but his experience, game awareness and leadership is invaluable to Libertad. Santa Cruz isn’t the only veteran striker plying their trade for Libertad on this list…
Óscar Cardozo, 42 (Club Libertad Asuncion)
Together with Santa Cruz, Óscar Cardozo forms the oldest strike partnership in world football. The younger of the pair, Cardozo joined Libertad back in 2017 and since gone on to score 133 goals in 342 games for the club.
In his prime, Cardozo was a feared striker across Europe. Across seven seasons for Benfica, Cardozo scored 172 goals in 295 games, including 11 goals in the Champions League and 19 in the UEFA Cup / Europa League. Only Eusebio scored more in Europe for the Portuguese side.
In recent months, Cardozo has often remained on the bench, with only three substitute appearances throughout the 2025 league season. Expect to see the curtain drawn down on this fantastic career soon.
Nenê, 44 (Esporte Clube Juventude)
If you watched Ligue 1 in the early 2010s, you’ll remember Nenê. The Brazilian playmaker was one of PSG’s stars before the Qatari money transformed the club into a global giant. He was silky, technical and could score from anywhere around the box.
Today, at 44, Nenê is still a regular off the bench for Juventude in Brazil’s Serie A. While his pace may be gone, the vision and touch remain. He’s a reminder that footballing IQ lasts long after the legs slow down.
Mathieu Valbuena, 40 (Olympiacos)
The diminutive French midfielder has had quite the career. Having been released by Bordeaux as a teenager, he dropped down to the fifth division of French football and began working in a sports shop. He worked his way back to the top, becoming a mainstay for Marseille for almost a decade. Not content with staying in Ligue 1, Valbuena commenced a world tour that saw him play in Russia, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus. He has recently rejoined Olympiacos, but will play for their B team in the second division. He looks to be setting down roots in Greece, having opened the ‘Valbuena Academy’ close to the Karaiskakis Stadium.
Shinji Kagawa, 36 (Cerezo Osaka)
He might be the youngest on this list, but he is no less of a cult classic. Kagawa was beloved by fans and managers alike – he was the only player to play for both Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp. Following a return to Dortmund and short stints in Turkey, Spain, Greece and Belgium, Kagawa returned to Cerezo Osaka, the team he started his professional career with. He is often deployed in a deeper, central midfield role compared to the second striker / attacking midfield role he flourished in under Klopp at Dortmund. With 31 appearances in 2025, don’t expect to see Kagawa hanging up his boots anytime soon.
Radja Nainggolan, 37 (KSC Lokeren)
Nainggolan is beloved for two things; his tackle and his mohawk. The Belgian’s signature move was a challenge from behind, hooking the ball from the opponent’s feet with his heel. It was a high-risk move that had a high success rate, but had catastrophic consequences when it went wrong – just ask Raphinha or Federico Mattiello. The 37-year-old is going in the opposite direction to many midfielders, who often drop deeper as they age. For Lokeren, Nainggolan has been deployed just off the main striker, scoring 2 and assisting 2 in the first 5 games. The mohawk might have gone, but his tenacity and all-action playstyle remains.
Vágner Love, 41 (Retro FC Brasil)
Possibly the ultimate UEFA Cup striker – the blue-haired Vágner Love in the late 2000s was a menace up front for CSKA Moscow. Over the course of two spells, Vágner Love scored 117 goals across eight seasons for CSKA, winning 14 trophies, including the first ever UEFA Cup won by a Russian side.
Another journeyman, Vágner Love’s career has seen him play in Brazil, Russia, China, France, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Denmark.
In 2025, the striker joined Serie C outfit Retrô FC. Whilst he has only found the back of the net once, Vágner Love has started 9 of 10 games this season.
Hulk, 39 (Atletico Mineiro)
Possibly the best – and certainly the most deserving nickname in football – Hulk was among the most iconic players outside the top 5 leagues throughout the 2010s. The left-footed powerhouse contributed 77 goals and 65 assists in just 169 games for Porto, before securing a €40.00m move to Zenit, where the goals kept coming. Five seasons in China followed, before a move back to Brazil saw Hulk join Atlético Mineiro. The move has been an undoubted success; Hulk was the top scorer in both the Serie A and Copa do Brasil in his first season. Hulk remains a regular starter for Mineiro, although the goals are starting to dry up as he slows down.
Łukasz Piszczek, 40 (LKS Goczalkowice-Zdroj)
The Polish right-back will forever be cherished by Dortmund fans. His defensive reliability and overlapping runs were a core part of their golden era under Klopp. One of the greatest free transfers of all time, Piszczek enjoyed 11 seasons at Dortmund, winning two Bundesliga trophies and reaching a Champions League final.
At the end of his Dortmund career, Piszczek joined his boyhood club Goczałkowice-Zdrój,
where he played three seasons including a stint as player-manager.
He initially retired from playing to join Nuri Şahin’s management team at Dortmund, but the pair didn’t quite enjoy the same success in management as they had on the pitch. Upon Şahin’s dismissal in January 2025, Piszczek returned to Goczałkowice-Zdrój as player-manager once again. Playing in the fourth tier of Polish football, Piszczek has started 5 of their 7 league games this season.
Juan Mata, 37 (Free agent)
Juan Mata looks set to join Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory following a season with Western Sydney Wanderers, continuing the career of one of football’s most universally loved players. His elegance on the ball and humility endeared him to fans wherever he played; Chelsea fans are still haunted by his mid-season departure to Manchester United.
Whilst predominantly deployed as an attacking midfielder, Mata’s versatility saw him play on both wings throughout his career. In his most recent season down under, Mata played as a central midfielder, proving a calm head in the middle of the park.
