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Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric at Real Madrid in 2012.

8 former Cristiano Ronaldo team-mates we can’t believe are still playing in 2025

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently in his 22nd professional season and is going strong in the Saudi Pro League, hoping to break more records and win more trophies at Al-Nassr.

Typically, by the age of 40, most players have hung up their boots but his incredible dedication to this craft has ensured he remains a star figure and doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon.

The football landscape has changed incredibly since his emergence on the scene in the early 2000s, and there aren’t too many former teammates of a similar age who are still playing.

With that in mind, we’ve decided to look at eight former Ronaldo teammates who are still going strong in 2025, proving that age is just a number in football.

Luka Modric

Despite being in his twilight years, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner is now 39 and still a key part of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.

His former midfield partner Toni Kroos decided to call it a day aged 34 while fellow La Liga legend Xavi also called time at 39 – but the Croatian has already played 31 times this season.

With his deal expiring at the end of this season, it is unclear what the midfield magician’s next step will be.

An offer from Saudi Arabia could come in at the end of the season, but he is showing no hints of hanging up his boots just yet.

He currently has 835 career appearances, 568 of which have come at Madrid. Whatever happens next, it has been a stunning career.

Marcelo

The 36-year-old has been without a club since November but is currently searching for another to continue his career.

He managed 546 games for Los Blancos across a distinguished career and was part of their super team, which dominated Europe.

His most recent adventure in Brazil ended after a bust-up with Fluminese manager Mano Menezes, which led to his contract being terminated by mutual consent.

Who knows what lies ahead for the Brazilian legend, but we hope it isn’t retirement just yet.

Karim Benzema

Benzema and Ronaldo enjoyed a fascinating partnership during their time at Madrid, with the Portuguese forward most appreciative of his teammate’s rather selfless style of play which allowed him to thrive.

Following Ronaldo’s exit from Madrid, Benzema took centre stage and guided his team to the Champions League and picked up the Ballon d’Or after producing his best-ever campaign.

He then departed for the emerging Saudi Pro League, and he is currently in his second season at Al-Ittihad, aged 37, where he has 15 goals in 17 games this season.

Martin Caceres

A former teammate at Juventus for a short period, the Uruguayan is still competing at 37 but he is currently a free agent, having left LA Galaxy in January 2025.

He played for all manner of clubs across his career, including Barcelona, Juve, Sevilla, Lazio, Southampton and Fiorentina.

He did manage to triumph in the MLS Cup in 2024 but he only shared the pitch with Ronaldo on three occasions, a total beaten by the likes of Ruben Amorim and Phil Jones, to name a few.

Sergio Ramos

One of the best centre-backs of his generation, Ramos was an instrumental figure for Madrid across their era of success in the 2010s, lining up alongside Ronaldo on the biggest of occasions.

Ramos, now 38, headed to Paris Saint-Germain for a few years after Madrid before returning to his boyhood club Sevilla last season.

However, since leaving in 2024, he has remained a free agent and is currently looking for a new club.

The latest reports suggest he is set to head to Mexico to join Monterrey, where he looks set for at least another season in the game. He played an incredible 671 times for Madrid, scoring 101 times.


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Keylor Navas

Navas was crucially underrated in his prime and he was a brilliant top-level keeper who was in goal for their three Champions League triumphs in a row from 2015-2017.

He played 162 times for Madrid before leaving for PSG and enjoyed a short stint on loan at Nottingham Forest in 2023.

Having left the French club permanently in 2024, he spent some time as a free agent before linking up with Argentinian side Newell’s Old Boys where he’s played just one game so far.

However, he is contracted until December 2026 meaning he could well reach the 40 age mark by the end of his deal.

Jose Fonte

The oldest player to feature on this list at 41, it is amazing that the former Southampton defender is still going strong.

Having been an international teammate of Ronaldo’s, he was part of the Euro 2016 winning squad and has enjoyed a long career with stints at Southampton, Lille and Crystal Palace.

After a five-year spell at Lille that ended in 2023, he headed to Portuguese side Braga in 2023 for a season before recently linking up with Primeira Liga side Casa Pia where he’s contracted until the end of the season.

Javier Hernandez

A throwback striker, the Mexican striker is now 36 and still plugging away in his native country playing for his first club Guadalajara.

Having crossed paths with Ronaldo only briefly as part of a loan spell at Madrid in the 2014-15 campaign, he impressed in the 33 games he played with nine goals and nine assists.

Of course, he is most well-known for his time in England at Manchester United, where he spent five years. After that, there were spells at Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla and LA Galaxy before he headed home in 2024 and he’s managed six major trophies across his career.