When age is just a number
The sports stars who continue beyond a time when others have given up
In March, 41-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimović played for Sweden against Belgium in Solna, an occasion less exceptional than it might at first have appeared. Everywhere high-profile footballers are playing well into their late 30s and sometimes beyond it — and the phenomenon isn’t confined to football.
Other football examples close to hand include Luka Modrić, the Real Madrid playmaker, who shows no sign of slowing down at a spry 37. In September Modrić turns 38, but there are no indications that the Croat’s engine is spluttering or those spark plugs need cleaning. It’s a remarkable achievement, considering he started at Dinamo Zagreb aged 16...
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