What makes the goalkeeping position particularly challenging is that a team only needs one keeper, shrinking the opportunities to get on the field. But on the positive side, goalkeepers can have longer careers than field players if they compensate for the athleticism they lose with age by being an expert at reading the game. Here are some of the great elder statesmen of goalkeeping:
Dino Zoff. The oldest keeper to win a World Cup—lifting the 1982 crown with Italy at age 40—Zoff played one more season with Juventus after winning the world title.
Brad Friedel. U.S. World Cup veteran, Friedel had played nearly 300 English Premier League games for Blackburn when he moved to Aston Villa at age 37. Three years later, Friedel was still considered one of the EPL’s top keepers.
Pat Jennings. Jennings, who was Northern Ireland’s keeper for more than two decades, played more than 750 English league games for Watford, Tottenham, and Arsenal. He played in the 1986 World Cup at age 41.
Edwin van der Sar. The Dutchman represented his country 130 times, including games at the 2008 European Championship, where he served as team captain at age 37. He was starring in Manchester United’s goal at age 40.
Hugo Gatti. Nicknamed “El Loco,” Gatti was a renowned penalty-kick stopper who played 26 seasons in the Argentine first division (from 1962 to 1988) before retiring at age 44. He won two Libertadores Cup titles with Boca Juniors while in his mid-30s.
Lev Yashin. The “Black Spider” played in the 1966 World Cup a few months before his 37th birthday, helping the Soviet Union reach the semifinals, its best finish ever.
Peter Shilton. The Englishman played 125 times for his national team. He holds the record for being the oldest World Cup captain—40 years and 292 days-set at the 1990 finals in Italy, where England finished fourth.
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