Nothing makes us appreciate the levels of skill and athleticism that world-class footballers possess than seeing the 40-year-old versions of them skirting around the pitch, pulling off passes and finishes that we thought we could do at our athletic peak, but are really only fooling ourselves to think so.
This reality-check veiled in awe was what was presented to us as the United Nations put on a charity match in the name of fighting the Ebola virus in West Africa. And by all accounts the U.N. did a very good job of fielding a team filled with the superstars of yesteryear: Zinedine Zidane, Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldo Nazario, etc. There were others, too, like Edwin van der Sar and David Trezeguet, but those first three were responsible for the majority of the fireworks on display during the game.
Ronaldo, of Inter, Real Madrid, and Barcelona fame, would score a hat trick, including this poacher’s finish:
And this finish after linking up with Zidane.
Zidane, #10, is 42. Ronaldo, #9, is 38. I am 24, and could never dream of making any of the things they do look so easy.
The icing on the cake was Clarence Seedorf, 39, streaking down the field like he was 19 and chipping the keeper. Again, never gonna happen in this writer’s life.
It’s not a 40 yard bomb, but it’s still damn impressive.
