Still in the game: Can you guess the oldest active athletes in 2021?

Whether MMA and golf or football and the NBA, these are sports' most seasoned players

Published: January 19, 2021 16:08 Marwa Hamad, Assistant Editor

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On Monday night, 39-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice for AC Milan’s 0-2 away fixture against Cagliari, marking his 12th goal in eight games this season. For Ibrahimovic, this was the first time that he scored in nine successive starts while playing in the top-five European leagues. As Ibra proves age is just a number, we take a look at the most seasoned players who are still active across football, tennis, the NBA, golf and more... Image Credit: AFP

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Kazuyoshi Miura – 53 (Football): The Japanese footballer is the oldest active footballer in the world at 53. He may be one of the only professional footballers to play across five different decades, from 1980-2020s. Nicknamed Kazu, he plays a forward for Yokohama FC in the J1 League. Miura rose to fame around the launch of the J League in Japan in 1993, and is considered Japan’s first footballing superstar. Image Credit: AP

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Zdeno Chara – 43 (Hockey): Zdeno Chara is widely considered the oldest active player in the NHL. The Slovak ice hockey defenceman is also noted for his towering height, at nearly 7ft tall (2.06m), making him the tallest person to ever play in the NHL. His nickname is Big Z. Image Credit: AFP

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Tom Brady – 43 (NFL): The oldest active quarterback in the NFL is 43-year-old Tom Brady – and he’s frequently insisted he plans to play until 45: “I have set that number for a long time, and I work pretty hard at it every day.” However, free agent Adam Vinatieri is 48. Image Credit: AP

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Anderson Silva – 45 (MMA): The former UFC Middleweight Champion holds the record the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, between 2006 and 2013. Silva was released from his UFC contract in November, 2020, making him free to negotiate with others. Image Credit: Xpress

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Udonis Haslem – 40 (NBA): The Miami Heat player has won three NBA Championships for the team. He began his professional career nearly 20 years ago. Image Credit: AP

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Bernahrd Langer – 63 (Golf): The German professional golfer last year became the oldest player in the history of the Masters to secure a spot, at the age of 63. He beat previous record holder Tommy Aaron (2000) by more than a month. Image Credit: AP

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Pravin Tambe – 49 (Cricket): Indian cricketer Pravin Tambe is believed to be the oldest professional cricketer still active, as part of the Trinbago Knight Riders franchise cricket team, competing in the Caribbean Premier League. Image Credit: AP

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Roger Federer and Serena Williams – 39 (Tennis): Both tennis legends are 39. And while Federer is at the cusp of retiring, there’s no word on whether Williams plans to stop anytime soon. Image Credit: AFP

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Still in the game: Can you guess the oldest active athletes in 2021?

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Still in the game: Can you guess the oldest active athletes in 2021?

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Kirsten, Gillespie named as cricket coaches for Pakistan

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