Robert Carmona is football's oldest-ever player and still plays despite eight operations
They say age is just a number and Robert Carmona is living proof of that statement. Cristiano Ronaldo's longevity is often hailed, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner still scoring goals for Al Nassr when he turns 40 in a couple of months.
But Ronaldo will have done every well if he gets anywhere near Carmona, who is still playing football at the ripe old age of 62. He plies his trade with Hacele Un Gol a la Vida, a club which also serves as a social project, in the fourth division in is native Uruguay and is still featuring in official matches.
Carmona is recognised as the oldest ever active football by the Guinness World Records, with his daughter pushing for him to receive the validation in a process which took four years and involved the submission birth certificate, photographs and match information.
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Remarkably, he has been a footballer for 48 years, turning out for 30 clubs and racking up more than 2,000 appearances in countries like Canada, United States, Spain, and Italy. He received an official certificate to mark his achievement in being the oldest active player, eclipsing Japanese legend Kazu Miura.
According to Carmona, there are many secrets to why he has been able to play for so long - with a positive mentality and the right combination of diet and training key.
"In football history, there have been maybe 10 or 15 old players, but most of them stopped playing and then joined some club years later," Carmona said in 2022, as per MARCA.
"In my case, I've been playing without interruption since I began my professional career in 1976.
"I can't give an easy answer as to the secret for my longevity. There are several factors: a good diet, discipline in training, avoiding being lazy, alcohol and drugs, and, despite having had a difficult life since childhood, I have always maintained a very positive attitude.
"You need a strong conviction, to believe that dreams come true if you aim for something. In my life there's no such thing as 'can't'. I feel like I've been given a gift and I haven't wasted it. I feel very alive and have the energy of a youngster."
Carmona started out as a midfield playmaker but as he has got older, he's transitioned into a centre-back. He trains six or seven times a week and feels as fit as a fiddle despite requiring eight surgeries over the years because of the injuries he has sustained.
One surgeon urged him to retire but Carmona was offended by the remark and has continued playing for another 40 years.
He explained: "If I'm injured, I try to recover as quickly as possible to get back to my best, to meet my objectives and not let anyone down. Unfortunately, I've had a several injuries and operations since 1980, I've had a total of eight operations.
"I remember one day a surgeon said to me that I'd have to give up playing football. I looked at him and said 'you don't know who you're talking to, as no operation, not this one, nor any one, will make me retire from football'. I think he was wrong. Here I am 40 years later playing and stronger than ever, thank God."
"I'm a chosen one, a living legend. I became the oldest active player in the world and I'll keep going. I feel like a 25-year-old. Retirement isn't on my mind."
Topics: Uruguay
Josh Lawless