8 Greatest 30-Somethings In World Football Right Now

4. Andrea Pirlo

Andrea Pirlo has to be one of the most popular footballers in the world today, and you have to look long and hard to find someone who doesn't think incredibly fondly of him. At 35, he remains as good as he's ever been, and there is absolutely no doubt that he has been better in his 30s than in his 20s. The midfield maestro moved to Juventus from AC Milan in the summer of 2011, at the age of 32, because they did not feel he was the force he once was. It turned out to be a catastrophic decision. Pirlo won the Serie A title in his first season with the Turin giants, and was voted the league's Player of the Year. He was inspirational. Since then, he has won two further titles and continued to cement his reputation as one of the greatest playmakers of all time. The 35-year-old is not remotely mobile these days- he never has been, in fairness- but with the youthful legs of Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio around him at Juventus, he will flourish until his late 30s. His passing is still a dream, and his ability to dictate a game at his pace is something only the really special midfielders have in their armoury. Pirlo is certainly special.