Not only does the UEFA Champions League play host to the latest young talent from across the continent, Europe’s elite club competition has provided a solid platform for some of the game’s veterans to continue to strut their stuff.
Household names like Francesco Totti, Pepe, Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon and Ryan Giggs have all blossomed in the UEFA Champions League in their twilight years, and the golden oldies are often more than capable of still mixing it with their younger counterparts.
Here at SportsLens, it got us thinking about some of the oldest record breakers to have featured in the UEFA Champions League. We take a closer look at the oldest players, oldest scorers and oldest winners from the UEFA Champions League.
Oldest UEFA Champions League players
The oldest UEFA Champions League player isn’t Gianluigi Buffon, Pepe or even Paolo Maldini. The honour goes to Marco Ballotta, who was 43 years, 252 days old when he played for Lazio against Real Madrid in the 2007/08 campaign. Ballotta is also the oldest player to feature in Serie A.
The legendary Italian goalkeeper is followed by another legendary Italian goalkeeper, Buffon. The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner was 42 years, 315 days old when he represented Juventus against Barcelona in December 2020. Buffon, quite famously, has never won the UEFA Champions League.
Third on the list is, perhaps unsurprisingly, another goalkeeper in the shape of Ukranian Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. He was 41 years, 255 days old when he played for Dynamo Kiev against Napoli in September 2016. Mark Schwarzer (41 years, 206 days old) and Pepe (40 years, 275 days) make up the top five oldest UEFA Champions League players.
Oldest UEFA Champions League Scorers
The oldest UEFA Champions League goalscorer may or may not come as a surprise. It most definitely isn’t a goalkeeper or even a striker or midfielder, but hard-as-nails centre-back Pepe. The Portuguese veteran has won the UEFA Champions League three times and as recently as November 2023 became the competition’s oldest scorer at 40 years, 254 days old when he notched for Porto against Antwerp.
Roma and Italy legend Francesco Totti is in second place, netting against CSKA Moscow in November 2014. Totti is widely regarded as the greatest-ever one-club player and his glorious career saw him win Serie A, the 2006 FIFA World Cup as well as a whole host of individual accolades. Totti set his UEFA Champions League record at 38 years, 59 days old.
Third on the list is another one-club legend. Ryan Giggs spent his entire career at Manchester United and he was, for a short time, the UEFA Champions League’s oldest ever goal scorer. He was 37 years, 290 days old when he netted in 2011 against Benfica in a group stage game. Sergio Ramos (37 years, 244 days old) and Filippo Inzaghi ( 37 years, 87 days old) make up the top five oldest UEFA Champions League scorers.
Oldest UEFA Champions League Winners
The oldest UEFA Champions League winner will come as no surprise; Milan’s one-club legend Paolo Maldini. The Italian defender lifted the Champions League/European Cup trophy on five different occasions. His first came in 1988/89 and his last came in 2006/07. At the time of his fifth and final win, he was 38 years, 331 days old. He also finished as runner-up on three different occasions.
Another Italian makes the list; 1982 FIFA World Cup winner Pietro Vierchowod. The centre-back was plying his trade for Juventus when he won the UEFA Champions League in 1995/96 and he was 37 years, 46 days old when the Old Lady beat Ajax in the final. Vierchowod also won the Serie A title in his Roma and Sampdoria days. He retired from professional football in 2000.
Third on the list is another Italian legend, Alessandro Costacurta. The centre-back is widely considered as a one-club legend as well, having spent his entire career at Milan minus a loan spell to Monza in 1986/87. He was 37 years, 34 days old when he won the UEFA Champions League in 2002/03. Javier Zanetti (36 years, 285 days old) and Marco Materazzi (36 years, 276 days old) make up the five oldest UEFA Champions League winners.
Note: Don’t forget, the best UK betting sites have all the latest 2023/24 UEFA Champions Leagues markets and odds ahead of match day six.
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