While many factors influence a soccer player’s career path, age is the most important factor. Even the best and most experienced players find it difficult to compete with the young talents, as their speed, agility and overall performance end up declining with age.
According to data presented by SafeBettingSites.com, Arsenal FC have the youngest squad among the ten most valuable football clubs, with an average player age of 25.2 years.
Manchester City have the oldest team among the top five Premier League clubs
Many elite soccer players with long-lasting careers find it difficult to maintain their physical performance as they age. While their technical-tactical skills and understanding of specific tournaments and competitions improve with years of training and competing, their speed, strength, stamina, acceleration and ball control can all be affected by age.
That’s why soccer teams with younger, peak-performing players are usually more favored in tournaments and are more likely to win.
According to data from TransferMarket, Arsenal FC has the youngest team among the top ten football clubs in the world. Arsenal’s squad includes 23 players, 70% of whom are foreigners, and their average age is 25.2 years.
Paris Saint-Germain have the second youngest team in the top ten, with an average player age of 25.3 years. The Barcelona and Chelsea FC teams both have an average age of 25.4 years. Manchester United follows with 25.8 years.
TransferMarkt data also shows that Manchester City have the oldest squad of all Premier League clubs. The club’s squad comprises 24 players, whose average age is 26.8, which is 1.6 years older than at Arsenal FC.
Real Madrid has the oldest team among the top 10 football clubs
Although Manchester City has the oldest team among the top five Premier League clubs, there is one football club with an even older team. Real Madrid’s squad is by far the oldest in the top ten, with an average player age of 27.3, according to TransferMarkt data.
Statistics show that five of the club’s 24 players are aged 32 or over. The oldest is Luka Modric, 37 years old. The famous midfielder has been playing for Real Madrid since 2012 and has no plans to retire yet. Although his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in June, he has agreed to a one-year extension.
Karim Benzema is the Spanish club’s second oldest player, at 35, while Eden Hazard, Nacho Fernández and Toni Kroos are 32 and 33.