Alfredo DiStefano
Until he turned 31, Alfredo Di Stéfano had played 333 games (140 with Real Madrid) and had scored 273 goals (124 with the Whites). Before the age of 31 he had won 12 titles (two European Cups and three Leagues), but after 31 he lifted twice as many: three European Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, five League Cups and one Cup. He left Real Madrid at the age of 38 and he retired from football with 40 at Espanyol (47 games and 11 goals).
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Juanito
He ceased to be undisputed as a starter at the age of 30 after seven seasons and being the top scorer that season. At the age of 32 he went to Málaga, with whom he got promotion to the First Division. He retired in 1989 at the age of 34, although in 1991 he played some games with Los Boliches, from Segunda B.
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Puskas
In the summer of 1958 Puskas was 31 years old and about 12 kilos overweight. However, Santiago Bernabéu wanted to sign him, despite the opposition of the then Carniglia coach, who considered him a finished player. He played 262 games with 242 goals, and won three European Cups (34 goals in 36 games), five Leagues (154 goals in 179 games), a Copa del Rey (46 goals in 41 games) and an Intercontinental Cup (two goals in two shocks).
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Hugo Sanchez
Only one of his five pichichis came to him when he was over 31 years old. He walked away with 33 after a clash with Beenhakker. Later he would go through America, Rayo Vallecano, Atlante, Linz, Dallas Burn and Atlético Celaya, where he retired at the age of 39. Of the 207 games that he played with more than 31 years, only 80 of them were with Real Madrid. He scored 64 goals with more than 31 years, of the 208 in the white team.
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People
He retired from football at the age of 37. Only one of his six European Cups was won by him having exceeded thirty (32). Of course, he won four of his 12 Leagues with more than 31 years. Undisputed starter in six of the seven seasons in which he had already turned 31, he played 206 games out of 601 and scored 63 goals out of 182 total.
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Jesus Aguilera
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Butragueño
Raúl’s emergence came to Butragueño when he was almost 32 years old, when he was planning the idea of leaving Real Madrid. In that last season (1994-1995) he played 12 games and scored one goal. He left for Atlético Celaya in Mexico and at the end of his third season, at the age of 34, with 91 appearances and 29 goals, he officially retired from football.
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Amancio
In his 14 seasons at Real Madrid, he achieved his highest number of goals (16) just when he turned 30 and from then on, he did not exceed the 10 barrier again. Five of his 13 titles and 37% of his games in the League (129 of 344) they were with more than 31. He retired at the age of 36, two years after the entry of Fernández (Granada) who broke his quadriceps.
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Raul Gonzalez Blanco
His retirement from football has been progressive. At the age of 31, it was the last season in which he remained the undisputed starter at Real Madrid. Only 9% of his goals (31 of 323) were made with more than 31. He left for Schalke at the age of 33, where he scored 40 goals in two seasons. He then spent another two seasons at Al-Sadd and one at the Cosmos, where he retired at age 38.
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Jesus Aguilera
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Santillana
He played 17 seasons at Real Madrid. At the age of 32 and 33, the unforgettable nights of European comebacks and two UEFA Cups came to him. He also conquered three of his nine Leagues with 31 years. Until he was 33, he remained the undisputed starter until Butrageño snatched the position from him. Even so, he remained in the squad until he was 35 years old. He played 162 games of the 643 in total having exceeded 31 years.
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Ronaldo
He did not reach 31 years at Real Madrid. He signed in 2002 for the merengue team, at the age of 26, after having overcome two knee operations and lifting the World Cup in Korea and Japan. At Madrid he scored 104 goals in 177 games until he left for Milan in the winter market of the 2006-2007 season. He turned 31 the following campaign, when he last played in Europe. He retired at Corinthians in 2011, where he scored an average of 0.51 goals per game (at Madrid it was 0.59).
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Jesus Aguilera
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Cristiano Ronaldo
He arrived in 2009 at the age of 24 and left Real Madrid at the age of 33 after nine seasons in which he scored 450 goals in 438 games. He became the top scorer in the history of Real Madrid, a club in which he polished his record with four Champions Leagues, two Leagues, two Cups, two Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups and three Club World Cups. Successes that helped him win the Ballon d’Or four times as a madridista.
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Anadolu Agency
Getty Images
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Karim Benzema
He is currently a striker for Real Madrid, after 13 years at the club, surviving nine coaches, under the thick shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo for many seasons, this season and with 35 years behind him, he has become the leader and top scorer of the white team .
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Juanjo Martin
EFE
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