Who are the oldest players in each of Europe's top five leagues?

As the sport becomes more and more demanding on the body, and the lust for young talent freezes out some of football’s finest professionals, a golden generation of talent edges closer to a step away from the beautiful game.

Household names of European football. Veterans of our sport. That moment when you’re watching football and say to yourself “I didn’t realise he was still playing.” Memories come flooding back from a time much simpler. Echoes of historic World Cups and Champions League nights on ITV. These golden oldies have helped us fall in love with football.

Here are the oldest players from each of Europe’s top 5 divisions:

Premier League - Lukasz Fabianski (40 years old)

Łukasz Fabiański departs West Ham with 628 saves — the most by any goalkeeper in Premier League history for the club.

Safe hands. Solid legacy. 🧤⚒️ pic.twitter.com/yeu8fcse6t

— Hammers Hub (@HammersHubWHUFC) May 25, 2025

Lukasz Fabianski is a true member of the old guard of Premier League goalkeepers, and his pending West Ham United departure is one that is pulling on the heartstrings down in the English capital.

First arriving to English shores, by way of Legia Warsaw, with Arsenal in 2007, the Polish shot-stopper has been a top flight stalwart across a career spent first with The Gunners, and then Swansea City and West Ham, where he will depart upon his contract's expiration on the 1st of July, 2025.

Fabianski spent seven years at The Emirates, most of them spent deputizing for fellow Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny, before staking his claim as a first-choice upon a move to Wales following the expiration of his Arsenal contract.

At Swansea, he spent 4 Premier League seasons as the club's first choice keeper, playing all but three possible top flight matches he could have played, whilst winning the club's Player of the Season award in 2018. However, his performances could not prevent The Swans from being relegated, and a move to West Ham United followed soon after.

7 years, 216 games, 53 clean sheets, a Hammer of the Year award and a coveted UEFA Europa Conference League medal later, it comes as little surprise as to why West Ham fans are sad, yet understanding, that Fabianski's time with the club is closing.

The first Polish player to reach 300 Premier League appearances, and the man with the most saves in West Ham's Premier League history, it isn't certain what is coming next for Lukasz, but what is certain is that he can be proud of the career he carved in England.

Bundesliga - Anthony Losilla (39 years old)

Anthony Losilla richtet nach Bochums Abstieg aus der Bundesliga emotionale Worte an die Fans und bedankt sich für den Support über die Saison hinweg. 👏 Losilla beendet nach der Spielzeit seine Karriere.#skybundesliga pic.twitter.com/4vLj5tgxNq

— Sky Sport (@SkySportDE) May 10, 2025

Another player on this list that will soon be departing, following years of loyal service, enter Anthony Losilla.

The French defensive midfielder came through the ranks at Saint-Etienne as a youngster, and spent six senior years playing competitively in his home country's lower leagues across spells with Cannes, Paris FC and Laval, before making the jump to German action with Dynamo Dresden in 2012. After two seasons in the second tier of Germany with them, he made the move to VFL Bochum in 2014, and truly never looked back.

Losilla would go on to spend another 11 years with the NRW side, battling it out in the second tier for a mighty seven seasons before accomplishing the remarkable feat of promotion to the Bundesliga, giving Losilla the golden chance to finally play top-flight football.

Now aged 35, and having primarily been a lower-league player for the majority of his playing days, many may have thought that Losilla would have been cast aside. However, Bochum stook by him, and he stood by them, with the club captain making 95 Bundesliga appearances in three seasons, scoring five goals along the way, playing a key role in keeping the side in the top flight.

His role in the squad diminished somewhat in the 24/25 season, starting just 13 league matches as Bochum succumbed to relegation back into 2. Bundesliga.

He may be departing on a sad note, unable to keep his beloved Bochum in the big time, but the impact he has had on the club will not soon be forgotten.

Serie A - Danielle Padelli (39 years old)

=2455. Daniele PADELLI

Goalkeeper - 25.10.85 - ITA

Prem Debut:
13/05/2007 (LIVERPOOL vs. Charlton Athletic, D 2-2)

Prem Clubs:
Liverpool (07)

Prem Apps: 1
Prem Goals: 0
Prem Clean Sheets: 0 pic.twitter.com/tgny5DEno5

— Premier League Players (@premlgeplayers) February 27, 2024

Perhaps a lesser-known figure in the footballing world, Danielle Padelli has been a reliable stopper for generations of the game.

Eagle-eyed fans in England may remember the Italian for his sole season spent on loan at Liverpool, where he made one Premier League appearance. Then a fresh-faced 20 year old, it would take another seven seasons spent as a backup shot-stopper, along loans at Pisa and Bari and a permanent move to Udinese, before he would get a crack as a club's first choice.

Torino were the club that afforded him that opportunity in 2013, signing Padelli as their first choice keeper after Jean-Francois Gillet was banned for match fixing offences. Out of that particularly distressing outcome, came a revelation in Padelli, who played every single match of his first season in Turin, helping the club accomplish qualification to the Europa League, winning the "Goalkeeping Revelation of the Season" award at the Italian Sports Awards.

Padelli would spend another two seasons with Torino as the club's first choice, before a certain Joe Hart's arrival from Manchester City saw him ousted back into his backup days.

Padelli soon left in favour of Inter, where he spent three more seasons as the club's backup stopper, making just four more Serie A showings, before a return to Udinese in 2021 brought about much of the same, having made 6 appearances in the league since then.

One of those appearances came this season, a particularly strong performance against Parma, meaning he tops the list of oldest players in Italy ahead of Spanish icon Pedro. Another Spaniard in Pepe Reina ranks older than Padelli, clocking in at 42 years old, but his retirement at Como now ousts him from the rankings.

Padelli's contract with Udinese is due to expire at the end of June, 2025, with no current news available as to whether he will remain with the club.

La Liga - Luka Modric (39 years old)

🍷🇭🇷 Luka Modrić (39 years and 9 months) has become the OLDEST player to score in the HISTORY of the World Cup qualifiers (UEFA).

The record was previously held by Džeko (39 years, 2 months and 12 days). pic.twitter.com/JhqeULGuKI

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 10, 2025

The definition of aging like a fine wine.

Little introduction needs to be given to Luka Modric, another man on this list who will be departing his club come the end of June 2025.

The legendary Croatian midfielder is quite rightly regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the history of the game. First shooting to prominence in the heart of the midfield at Tottenham Hotspur, following a move from boyhood side Dinamo Zagreb, Modric is renown for his creativity, quality in possession, and knack for huge moments of magic.

After four quality seasons in North London, where Modric became one of the best in the Premier League, Los Blancos soon came calling for his services in 2012, fighting off interest from Tottenham's rivals, Chelsea, to secure his services for £30m.

A lack of a pre-season schedule saw Modric struggle initially under Jose Mourinho, with veterans Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira usually occupying the deeper midfield with German maestro Mesut Ozil further in front.

With time, however, Modric soon broke through with that cutting-edge quality he was loved for in London, and the rest, as they say, was history.

Modric's career CV is certainly one to behold, with the Croatian playing a key role in securing Real Madrid four La Liga titles, six Champions Leagues, two Copa del Rays and five Supercopa de Espana trophies.

Individually, he received an eye-watering 89 individual honours over his storied career, including 11 Croatian Football of the Year awards, six entries into the FIFPRO World XI, 3 into the UEFA Team of the Year and six into the Champions League Team of the Season.

The most coveted prize in Modric's arsenal, however, is the prize any footballer would dream for years of accomplishing, that being the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Modric's sensational performances in helping his country to an unprecedented World Cup final, Real Madrid to a third Champions League in a row and countless surreal moments of quality saw the midfielder become the first Croatian to win the accolade, as well as becoming the man to break Messi/Ronaldo streak of Ballon d'Or wins, a stretch that went back to 2007.

His time at Real Madrid, now aged 39, has finally come to a close, but that isn't to say Modric is done yet. In fact, Luka recorded more goal contributions in the 24/25 campaign than he did the season prior, making another 60 appearances along the way.

His longevity is astounding, his quality is undeniable and his thirst for success is seemingly unquenchable. Talks are linking Luka Modric with a move to Italian giants AC Milan in recent weeks, showcasing that his ability to march on with the very best in the world, even entering into his forties, will not soon go away.

Ligue 1 - Dante (41 years old)

Remember Dante?

The former Bayern and Brazil CB is 40 years old now but still going strong for Nice (currently second in Ligue 1), pulling off stuff like this.

pic.twitter.com/o8bKrqeFgJ

— The Elastico🇧🇷CFCscout (@the_elastico) November 29, 2023

Finalising our list with the oldest of the bunch, and incredibly the only player not set to soon depart, Dante is a player who defies his age with each passing match.

At 41, the Brazilian former Bayern Munich man has shown no signs of ageing, making 28 appearances for French outfit Nice this season, as they secured a stunning Champions League qualification.

The club captain has been instrumental for Nice upon arrival, driving the team up the field with deceivingly precise footwork and pace that far, far precedes his years.

A former Brazilian international, Dante played in the Bundesliga for 7 years winning consecutive league titles at Bayern Munich.

The then 32 year old left Germany for France and has since made 310 appearances in the heart of the Les Aiglons back line.

Accolades still poured for the veteran, as Dante was involved in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season in 2024 as a reward for his titanic performances for Nice, which have continued long after then.

His contact was set to expire in June, but Dante isn't done yet. The wily veteran has signed on for yet another season of action to help Nice through their Champions League return, a move that will see him turn 42 whilst still playing at the top level of the game.

A imperious player and an iron will to continue, Dante is a true anomaly in the world of football.