Messi at 40: the myth of longevity in elite football

A bold claim: Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shattered every expectation of longevity in professional football. With more than 1,000 official matches and 1,000 goals each, both are still competing at 40 in smaller leagues, but with an impact that goes beyond sport. One user cited Google's AI to point out that an elite footballer devotes between 25 and 35 hours a week to his job —training, gym, physiotherapy, match analysis— a far cry from the 50 hours of a 60-year-old bricklayer. The comparison is not trivial: as long as they keep paying him fortunes, economic logic says keep playing.

But the body does not forgive. Those who watch their recent matches note they are no longer those explosive athletes: "more like grandpa strolls", one viewer quipped. The key lies in the differential of experience and positioning. One trinc said that, although not a football fan, he sees in Messi passes "very well placed and dangerous" that only veteran players can deliver. Another recalled that players of earlier generations retired between 30 and 34; these two have been at the top level for two decades.

What stands out is the extreme professionalism of both: hardly any parties or scandals are known about them. "They've spent years playing in leagues for the pleasure of it", another user noted. But the underlying debate is whether it is worth extending a career when the body no longer responds at the same pace. The 2026 World Cup, with Messi at 40, will be the acid test. A cautious prediction: even if age takes its toll on intensity, his differential talent and reading of the game will allow the Argentine to remain decisive. Until his body says enough.