Football

Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modrić surpass Ferenc Puskás

At 39 years and 40 days, the legendary Croatian has broken the record of being the oldest player ever to feature for the Los Blancos, previously held by Ferenc Puskás.

Soumit BhattacharyaOctober 20, 2024 at 07:39 AM • 2 min read
Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modrić surpass Ferenc Puskás
At 39 years and 40 days, the legendary Croatian has broken the record of being the oldest player ever to feature for the Los Blancos, previously held by Ferenc Puskás.

Luka Modrić achieved the rare feat of being the oldest player ever to feature for Real Madrid in an official game at the age of 39 years and 40 days. The legendary Croatian has broken a 58-year-old record held by Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás who featured for Madrid in 1966 at 39 years and 36 days. 

Modrić broke the record by coming on in the 63rd minute of Real Madrid's LaLiga victory by 2-1 against Celta Vigo on 20th October 2024. He assisted Vinicius Jr. who scored the winning goal in the 66th minute to seal three points for the Royal Whites. 

The 6-times UEFA Champions League Winner with Real Madrid also registered his 250th LaLiga wins after playing for 13 seasons at the club. Modrić also expressed his thoughts in the post-match interview:

"I’m proud to be part of Real Madrid history being the oldest player and winning the most titles." 

"I’m proud and happy to have achieved all these things with Real Madrid".

Read Also | Decoding Real Madrid's 15 Champions League title wins

5 oldest players to play for Real Madrid

1. Luka Modrić | 39 years and 40 days 

Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modric surpass Ferenc Puskás-sportzpoint.com
(image Courtesy | ESPN)
  • Debut for Madrid: vs FC Barcelona (2012)
  • Oldest to feature:  vs Celta Vigo (2024)
  • Total caps for Madrid: 547 
  • Trophies won: 27

2. Ferenc Puskás | 39 years and 36 days

Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modric surpass Ferenc Puskás-sportzpoint.com
(Image Courtesy | Getty Images)
  • Debut for Madrid: vs UD as Palmas (1958)
  • Oldest to feature: vs Feyenoord (1966)
  • Total caps for Madrid: 262
  • Trophies won: 10 

3. Francisco 'Paco' Buyo | 38 years and 63 days

Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modric surpass Ferenc Puskás-sportzpoint.com
(Image Courtesy | Planeta Real Madrid)
  • Debut for Madrid: vs Real Murcia (1986)
  • Oldest to feature: vs Albacete Balompié (1996)
  • Total caps for Madrid: 454
  • Trophies won: 12

4. Jerzy Dudek | 38 years and 58 days

Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modric surpass Ferenc Puskás-sportzpoint.com
(Image courtesy | 365Scores)
  • Debut for Madrid: vs Real Zaragoza (2008)
  • Oldest to feature: vs UD Almeria (2011)
  • Total caps for Madrid: 12
  • Trophies won: 3

5. Alfredo di Stéfano | 37 years and 323 days

Oldest players to play for Real Madrid: Luka Modric surpass Ferenc Puskás-sportzpoint.com
(Image Courtesy | The New York Times)
  • Debut for Madrid: vs Racing Santander (1953)
  • Oldest to feature: vs Inter Milan (1964)
  • Total caps for Madrid: 371
  • Trophies won: 18

Tags:

Real MadridLaligaLuka Modric

Soumit Bhattacharya

Soumit Bhattacharya's path to football content writing has been a natural progression of his innate love for sports, especially for football. Being a dedicated football enthusiast since childhood, he is well-versed and has a profound passion for the beautiful game, sharing readers a vast knowledge base through insighful narratives.

View Profile