Cristiano Ronaldo’s aim to play until the age of 40 is likely to be part of a more common trend in football, according to former striker Adebayo Akinfenwa.
Akinfenwa, who played just shy of 800 career games, was 40 himself when he made the final appearance of his career for Wycombe Wanderers in the 2022 League One play-off final. The striker has seen the likes of Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have long careers at the top, and anticipates more stars following suit.
Before moving to current club Al-Nassr, former Manchester United forward Ronaldo - who turned 38 last weekend - spoke of a desire to keep going beyond his 40th birthday in 2025. And whether he does so or not, he is unlikely to be the last.
