🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Ten players from the 2006 FIFA World Cup are still active in professional football
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Twenty years after the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, a select group of ten players from the 736 participants continue to play professionally in 2026. This group includes iconic figures such as Lionel Messi of Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, and Luka Modric of Croatia, all of whom first appeared on the World Cup stage in 2006 and continue to compete at high levels. Other notable players still active are Sergio Ramos of Spain, Oscar Ustari and Guillermo Ochoa, both goalkeepers, Lukasz Fabianski of Poland, Lukas Podolski of Germany, and Roque Santa Cruz and José Montiel, both from Paraguay. These players have demonstrated remarkable longevity in their careers, with some, like Santa Cruz, still playing at 44 years old, and Ronaldo at 41. While many of their peers have transitioned into other roles within football, these ten individuals defy age by remaining active in the sport.
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