Why Messi, Ronaldo and Modric extend their professional careers
At Bayern Munich's training ground one can see Argentina's 39‑year‑old Lionel Messi, Portugal's 41‑year‑old Cristiano Ronaldo and Croatia's 41‑year‑old Luka Modric, who despite their age still compete at top level. The report of 15 September 2026 raises the question why professional careers today last longer. They are exemplary of the growing role of modern sports medicine.
Average Age and Youth Push
The average age of players used in professional football has been between 26 and 27 years for many years. At the same time, an increasing number of teenagers are already pushing into the leagues at 16, such as Wael Mohya of Borussia Mönchengladbach or Kennet Eichhorn, who is now under contract with Bayer Leverkusen. Because the young talents are highly tuned technically, tactically and physically from the start, they can be almost finished professionals at 18 or 19. This development also contributes to the median age remaining stable, while individual professionals become significantly older.
Role of Sports Medicine and Regeneration
A look at the role of sports medicine shows that regeneration is the decisive secret for extended careers. Hans‑Georg Predel, head of the Institute for Circulatory Research and Sports Medicine at the German Sport University Cologne, explains that the decline in speed, reaction time and strength with age is inevitable, but the regeneration speed after high‑intensity loads can be significantly improved. The question of how artificial intelligence and biohacking will support regeneration in the future already occupies research intensively. A look at other sports shows that 60‑year‑old athletes need only a few days more recovery time than 30‑year‑olds.
In the Bundesliga, experienced footballers such as Manuel Neuer (40), Edin Džeko (40) and Christopher Trimmel (39) of Union Berlin demonstrate that experience is still competitive. Trimmel, who has been under contract with the Bundesliga club since 2014, says: “I notice in the regeneration phase that I now need a little longer than before.” He adds that he takes an extra day to look after his body and not overtrain with false ambition. With this the players make clear that managing recovery is just as important as the training itself.
New Methods: Cryotherapy, Melatonin, Probiotics
Modern methods such as cryotherapy treatments in the ice tub, targeted sleep‑management programs and the administration of melatonin or probiotics expand the regeneration repertoire. Through improved circulation and reduced inflammatory responses athletes can become ready for action more quickly. These approaches are already considered part of the biohacking concept, which is to be further developed in the future. For professional careers this means that still untapped performance reserves lie in the area of regeneration.
Predel emphasizes that the greatest performance reserves are still hidden in the areas of sleep and stimulation strategies. He believes that the combination of sports medicine, artificial intelligence and targeted biohacking will further extend footballers’ careers. This will cause the level at the top‑level to rise in the long term, because experienced players can compete at a high level for longer.
The analysis shows why professional careers today last significantly longer than a decade ago. It answers the central question which factors determine longevity in football and which developments will shape the future.