LIONEL MESSI ATE what he wanted in his early 20s. Pizza, chocolate, fizzy drinks, pastries; you name it. Fast, processed foods and empty calories galore.
Recurring injuries, nausea and frequent on-pitch vomiting meant the supremely gifted Argentinian needed to change his ways.
He began to follow a strict regime, but that eventually slipped, and after the 2014 World Cup, Messi completely overhauled his diet.
This is just one example of how the veterans of this World Cup, 12 years later, have prolonged their respective careers.
Messi is 39 years old and still lighting it up for Argentina, and leading the Golden Boot race at his sixth edition.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić have both bowed out now, but they are the other side of 40. Bosnia’s Edin Džeko has a lower profile, but he joins them in that bracket.
(Keep in mind that footballers typically hit their peak around 27-28.)
They all have their ways and means of continuing their remarkable longevity, but off-pitch discipline appears key across the board.
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Ronaldo regularly documents his data-driven routine and recovery methods, while Modrić opts for resistance bands over heavy weights and hits the swimming pool after games.
The Croatian midfielder is big on active recovery, completing post-match aerobic exercises or swimming at 50-60% intensity. His 45-minute daily band routine is crucial for injury prevention, while he also follows a strict diet of high protein and low carbohydrates, tailored by a personal chef and including his favourite dish, sushi.
Messi’s revamp in 2014 was overseen by Italian doctor and nutritionist Giuliano Poser, after then-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola told him his career would be cut short if he didn’t change his eating habits.
Once back in Europe after the World Cup final defeat to Germany, Messi visited Poser – who he had previously seen on and off – in Sacile, near Venice.
The main takeaway? Eat only what your body needs, not what it wants.
And so fast food, fizzy drinks, sugar and the likes were completely eliminated, with his new diet built on five nutritional pillars: water, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
Nuts, seeds and anti-inflammatory foods became optimal, with red meat eaten in moderation. He drinks Yerba maté, a traditional South American herbal drink, every morning, a natural alternative to coffee.
Poser also introduced Messi to emotional therapy using Bach flower remedies, posture improvement through rehabilitation exercises and osteopathic treatments, and kinesiology for movement analysis.
Dynamic stretching, plyometrics, body weight and core circuits are his go-to in the gym.
While Ronaldo also avoids sugars in a likewise strict diet, he does indulge in coffee.
The 41-year-old uses fitness technology like Whoop. He became obsessed with recovery, and has an infrared sauna and cryotherapy ice chamber in his home. Like Modrić, he’s also fond of the swimming pool.
Modrić and Ronaldo played against each other in the Round of 32. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Ronaldo follows a unique sleep routine, developed by English sleep coach Nick Littlehales: five separate 90-minute naps over a 24-hour period rather than eight hours straight. This is said to maximise muscle recovery, sharpen cognitive function and reaction times, and prevent physical burnout.
The Portuguese was the second-oldest player at this World Cup, behind 43-year-old Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon, but custodians typically play for several years longer than outfield players. Cape Verde hero Vozinha, Germany’s Manuel Neuer and Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico are all 40.
Džeko puts much of his durability down to extra pre-training work, arriving 30–45 minutes early to get through activation and preventative exercises in the gym. Like the others, post-training recovery and listening to his body is crucial as loads are often managed.
As the 40-year-old Bosnian recently explained: “When you’re 20, you say, ‘I don’t have time for this. I want to go out for coffee or something with friends or lunch.’ When you get older, you realise your body needs, your legs need, something like this if you want to compete at the best level and stay so long in football.”
There are plenty of other examples across the game, and sport as a whole. LeBron James, and Venus and Serena Williams, spring to mind as elite athletes extending their careers into their 40s. Associate Prof Christina Ekegren, a physiotherapist and researcher at Monash University in Melbourne, reckons it’s down to a mixture of genetics, environment and lifestyle.
“They’re very smart in their approach to healthy ageing as an athlete,” she told The Guardian in an interview last September.
That said, many of the potential knock-on effects of various methods are not yet known.
According to scientific studies, elite athletes have a significantly higher risk of irregular heart rhythms in middle age, and there’s increased danger of musculoskeletal conditions like osteoarthritis down the line. That surely escalates for those competing longer.
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But Messi, Ronaldo and co have been smart, transitioning to less demanding leagues as the years move on (currently representing Inter Miami in the MLS, and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League) and adapting their playing styles to conserve energy.
Many might retire from international football to prolong their club careers, but to continue with both – and star, in Messi’s case – is seriously impressive.
Playing with a number of different generations, and teammates who weren’t yet born when they were already at the top level, underlines their remarkable longevity.
At the heart of it all is the want to get better, work harder, and win.
In Messi’s own words, “It’s the desire to outperform myself – always wanting more.”
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2026 World Cup veterans: How have they prolonged their careers?
LIONEL MESSI ATE what he wanted in his early 20s. Pizza, chocolate, fizzy drinks, pastries; you name it. Fast, processed foods and empty calories galore.
Recurring injuries, nausea and frequent on-pitch vomiting meant the supremely gifted Argentinian needed to change his ways.
He began to follow a strict regime, but that eventually slipped, and after the 2014 World Cup, Messi completely overhauled his diet.
This is just one example of how the veterans of this World Cup, 12 years later, have prolonged their respective careers.
Messi is 39 years old and still lighting it up for Argentina, and leading the Golden Boot race at his sixth edition.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić have both bowed out now, but they are the other side of 40. Bosnia’s Edin Džeko has a lower profile, but he joins them in that bracket.
(Keep in mind that footballers typically hit their peak around 27-28.)
They all have their ways and means of continuing their remarkable longevity, but off-pitch discipline appears key across the board.
Ronaldo regularly documents his data-driven routine and recovery methods, while Modrić opts for resistance bands over heavy weights and hits the swimming pool after games.
The Croatian midfielder is big on active recovery, completing post-match aerobic exercises or swimming at 50-60% intensity. His 45-minute daily band routine is crucial for injury prevention, while he also follows a strict diet of high protein and low carbohydrates, tailored by a personal chef and including his favourite dish, sushi.
Messi’s revamp in 2014 was overseen by Italian doctor and nutritionist Giuliano Poser, after then-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola told him his career would be cut short if he didn’t change his eating habits.
Once back in Europe after the World Cup final defeat to Germany, Messi visited Poser – who he had previously seen on and off – in Sacile, near Venice.
The main takeaway? Eat only what your body needs, not what it wants.
And so fast food, fizzy drinks, sugar and the likes were completely eliminated, with his new diet built on five nutritional pillars: water, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
Nuts, seeds and anti-inflammatory foods became optimal, with red meat eaten in moderation. He drinks Yerba maté, a traditional South American herbal drink, every morning, a natural alternative to coffee.
Poser also introduced Messi to emotional therapy using Bach flower remedies, posture improvement through rehabilitation exercises and osteopathic treatments, and kinesiology for movement analysis.
Dynamic stretching, plyometrics, body weight and core circuits are his go-to in the gym.
While Ronaldo also avoids sugars in a likewise strict diet, he does indulge in coffee.
The 41-year-old uses fitness technology like Whoop. He became obsessed with recovery, and has an infrared sauna and cryotherapy ice chamber in his home. Like Modrić, he’s also fond of the swimming pool.
Ronaldo follows a unique sleep routine, developed by English sleep coach Nick Littlehales: five separate 90-minute naps over a 24-hour period rather than eight hours straight. This is said to maximise muscle recovery, sharpen cognitive function and reaction times, and prevent physical burnout.
The Portuguese was the second-oldest player at this World Cup, behind 43-year-old Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon, but custodians typically play for several years longer than outfield players. Cape Verde hero Vozinha, Germany’s Manuel Neuer and Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico are all 40.
Džeko puts much of his durability down to extra pre-training work, arriving 30–45 minutes early to get through activation and preventative exercises in the gym. Like the others, post-training recovery and listening to his body is crucial as loads are often managed.
As the 40-year-old Bosnian recently explained: “When you’re 20, you say, ‘I don’t have time for this. I want to go out for coffee or something with friends or lunch.’ When you get older, you realise your body needs, your legs need, something like this if you want to compete at the best level and stay so long in football.”
There are plenty of other examples across the game, and sport as a whole. LeBron James, and Venus and Serena Williams, spring to mind as elite athletes extending their careers into their 40s. Associate Prof Christina Ekegren, a physiotherapist and researcher at Monash University in Melbourne, reckons it’s down to a mixture of genetics, environment and lifestyle.
“They’re very smart in their approach to healthy ageing as an athlete,” she told The Guardian in an interview last September.
That said, many of the potential knock-on effects of various methods are not yet known.
According to scientific studies, elite athletes have a significantly higher risk of irregular heart rhythms in middle age, and there’s increased danger of musculoskeletal conditions like osteoarthritis down the line. That surely escalates for those competing longer.
But Messi, Ronaldo and co have been smart, transitioning to less demanding leagues as the years move on (currently representing Inter Miami in the MLS, and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League) and adapting their playing styles to conserve energy.
Many might retire from international football to prolong their club careers, but to continue with both – and star, in Messi’s case – is seriously impressive.
Playing with a number of different generations, and teammates who weren’t yet born when they were already at the top level, underlines their remarkable longevity.
At the heart of it all is the want to get better, work harder, and win.
In Messi’s own words, “It’s the desire to outperform myself – always wanting more.”
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