Oldest Champions League winners

By Peter Ochieng

The 2024/2025 Champions league season has reached fever pitch, where being knocked out or progressing to the next stage are the only possibilities on the table. 

On Friday, the draw for the round of 16 was released, pairing City rivals, Atletico Madrid and defending champions Real Madrid in what is expected to be a clash of the titans.

Paris St. Germain, looking for the first Champions League title in history will be up against Liverpool, Feyenoord will play against 2023 finalists Inter Milan, while Borussia Dortmund will take to the stage against surprise package, Lille.

Benfica will face Barcelona, Germany rivals Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen have another bone to chew besides their fight for the Bundesliga title, PSV will take on Arsenal, in a fixture some Gunners fans have already thanked God for ‘blessing them too much.’

On paper, Arsenal is expected to cruise past the Dutch side, while Club Brugge will battle Aston Villa.

With that said, let us now focus on the oldest players to ever win the Champions league crown.

5. Marco Materazzi

The former Inter Milan and Italian national team defender is remembered more for the head-butt he received from furious French captain, Zinedine Zidane during the 2006 World Cup final in Germany.  

Zidane later stated that Materazzi insulted him, prompting the headbutt that landed him a straight red card. France lost via post-match penalties.  

Four years later, Materazzi was a key player as Inter Milan won the Champions League on May 22, 2010 via a 2-0 win against Bayern Munich. He was aged 36 years and 276 days.

4. Javier Zanetti

Marco Materazzi was not the oldest player in the 2010 Inter Milan Champions League winning squad.

The oldest player was Argentine Javier Zanetti who was aged 36 years and 285 days. The Inter great retired from active football, but currently occupies managerial position at the club.

3. Alessandro Costacurta

The 2003 Champions League final on May 28 was a clash between Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus.

Milan won the title with Alessandro Costacurta in their ranks.  He was aged 37 years and 34 days.

2. Pietro Vierchowod

On May 22, 1996, Juventus met Ajax in the Champions League final. The Italians won the title, with Pietro Vierchowod winning the crown aged 37 years and 46 days.

1.Paolo Maldini

Considered one of the greatest defenders to have ever taken to a football pitch, Paolo Maldini is the oldest player to lift the Champions League crown.

He led AC Milan to the title on May 23, 2007 against Liverpool aged 38 years and 331 days; two years after the Reds staged one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history to snatch the title from the jaws of AC Milan.

Milan raced into a 3-0 half time win against Liverpool in 2005, only for the English side to stage a comeback in the second half to win the match via post-match penalties.