World Football's 30 Best Players over 30

Choosing the best 30 footballers over the age of 30 is obviously a difficult process.

In general, by the time players reach 30, they're either in the latter part of their prime or they're over the hill. Injuries happen more frequently. Recovery times become longer.

In short, most players over 30 aren't the players they used to be.

You could probably say that about most of the players on this list. But at the same time, all the players on this list are still playing great football—in some cases well into their 30s.

So, here are the criteria. These players have to be 30 years old or older. The cutoff date for turning 30 is December 31, 2011. Injuries have been taken into account, as have current form, overall accomplishments and reputation.

Hopefully, this list balances the best of what these players are doing now with the best of what they've already accomplished.

Let's get started.

30. Tim Howard

Age: 32

Club: Everton

Country: USA

Position: Goalkeeper

I'm an American, so I'm biased in favor of Tim Howard. He is, however, an excellent goalkeeper.

Howard has played every league match for Everton in each of the past three seasons. For his efforts, he was rated the 10th-best goalkeeper in the world in 2010 by IFFHS (and ninth in 2009).

29. David Beckham

Age: 36

Club: LA Galaxy

Country: England

Position: Midfielder

Again, this might seem like a biased choice, since David Beckham has played the last five seasons in the United States.

Beckham, however, had an excellent 2011, helping the Galaxy to the MLS Cup title.

28. Ledley King

Age: 31

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Country: England

Position: Defender

Ledley King is one of the reasons Spurs have climbed to third in the Premier League table (though he's not the only one on this list, as we'll see).

Tottenham rank fourth in the league in goals allowed, and King has rightly been recognized for his excellent performances in the heart of the team's defense.

27. Christian Abbiati

Age: 34

Club: AC Milan

Country: Italy

Position: Goalkeeper

As we'll see, goalkeepers are well-represented on this list.

Christian Abbiati recovered from a scary head injury to help lead Milan to the 2010-11 Scudetto. He has dealt with injuries again this season, but Milan are back atop the Serie A table, tied with Juventus.

26. Diego Forlan

Age: 32

Club: Inter Milan

Country: Uruguay

Position: Forward

A sentimental choice? Maybe.

Diego Forlan went through a difficult period, as did Inter, at the beginning of this season. That's why he ranks so low.

Still, he's a great player, as his Golden Ball award at the 2010 World Cup showed.

Here's predicting Forlan will rediscover his form in the new year.

25. Anthony Reveillere

Age: 32

Club: Lyon

Country: France

Position: Full-back

Anthony Reveillere plays attacking full-back for Lyon, with whom he won five straight French titles from 2004-08.

He has appeared in all 19 of Lyon's matches this season. Lyon are currently fourth in the Ligue 1 table.

24. Javier Zanetti

Age: 38

Club: Inter Milan

Country: Argentina

Position: Midfielder

Javier Zanetti is just about as old as dirt. At 38, he's the Serie A version of Ryan Giggs (more on him later).

Zanetti's club, Inter Milan, have experienced plenty of successes and negatives this season. Zanetti has been there through it all, as usual, playing the full 90 minutes in 15 of Inter's 16 league matches.

23. Roman Weidenfeller

Age: 31

Club: Borussia Dortmund

Country: Germany

Position: Goalkeeper

Roman Weidenfeller made 33 appearances for Borussia Dortmund last season as the club won its first Bundesliga title in nine years. The 31-year-old keeper has played with Dortmund since 2002-03.

This season he's made 10 appearances as Dortmund have stayed just behind league-leading Bayern Munich.

22. Didier Drogba

Age: 33

Club: Chelsea

Country: Ivory Coast

Position: Forward

Didier Drogba is no longer the automatic first-team selection he was during Chelsea's best years. But when he does play, he's still lethal.

Anyone remember the two goals he scored in the do-or-die Champions League match against Valencia?

21. Ronaldinho

Age: 31

Club: Flamengo

Country: Brazil

Position: Attacking midfielder/forward

Ronaldinho is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, a World Cup winner and a member of Pele's 2004 list of the 100 greatest living footballers.

During his illustrious career, Ronaldinho has scored 260 goals in 678 total appearances. Last year, his first with Flamengo, he scored 21 times in all competitions.

Ronaldinho still has plenty left in the tank.

20. Ashley Cole

Age: 31

Club: Chelsea

Country: England

Position: Full-back

At 31, Ashley Cole is still England's best option at full-back. And he's still one of Europe's top attacking full-backs.

As a testament to his continued importance, Cole played in all 38 of Chelsea's league matches last term.

19. Dirk Kuyt

Age: 31

Club: Liverpool

Country: Netherlands

Position: Winger/forward

Dirk Kuyt earned a runner-up medal at last summer's World Cup and finished the 2010-11 season with 15 goals in all competitions for Liverpool.

He joined Liverpool from Feyenoord in 2006 and has developed into a vital member of the squad since. At the international level, he has represented Holland 84 times, scoring 24 goals.

18. Francesco Totti

Age: 35

Club: AS Roma

Country: Italy

Position: Forward/attacking midfielder

Speaking of someone who's as old as dirt, how is Francesco Totti only 35? Hasn't he been with them since the war ended or something?

Kidding aside, Totti is a legend in the Italian capital—and for good reason. He's fifth on the all-time Serie A scoring list with 207 goals, all for Roma.

And it's seriously cool that Totti has played for only one club in his long, long, long, interminable career.

17. Eric Abidal

Age: 32

Club: Barcelona

Country: France

Position: Defender

Eric Abidal, on the other hand, seems much younger than he is—at least to me. That's probably because he only came to the attention of the world after he joined Barcelona from Lyon in 2007.

Speaking of Lyon, though, Abidal helped lead the club to Ligue 1 titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007. At Barcelona, the talented full-back has won La Liga twice, the Champions League twice and the Spanish Cup once.

16. Scott Parker

Age: 31

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Country: England

Position: Midfielder

Scott Parker's summer move from West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur was one of the best English transfers of 2011.

His work in the middle of midfield has been one of the biggest reasons for Spurs' rise to third in the Premier League table.

15. Ricardo Carvalho

Age: 33

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Portugal

Position: Defender

Ricardo Carvalho played a vital role in Chelsea's title-winning sides of 2005, 2006 and 2010. After being reunited with Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, he earned more success before suffering multiple injuries at the start of the 2011-12 season.

Still, Carvalho is one of the best 30-something defenders in Europe.

14. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Age: 30

Club: AC Milan

Country: Sweden

Position: Forward

Zlatan Ibrahimovic can be maddening. Even his teammates seem to know it.

But he can also produce sublime moments.

Ibra's spell with Barcelona was a flop, but he seems to be fitting in better with Milan. Last season he scored 21 goals in 41 appearances. This term, he's already bagged 16 goals in 18 appearances.

13. Carles Puyol

Age: 33

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Position: Defender

At the lowest point of last season, Carles Puyol pondered retirement. Now that he's back from injury, Puyol is once again a vital component of Barcelona's and Spain's success.

Puyol played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona's 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the most recent El Clasico, and he played all but six minutes of Barca's winning run in the Club World Cup.

Look for Puyol to build his fitness and grow in importance for both Barca and Spain in the coming months.

12. Gianluigi Buffon

Age: 33

Club: Juventus

Country: Italy

Position: Goalkeeper

At 33 (he turns 34 in January), Gianluigi Buffon is still among the best in the world, as his selection to the FIFPro World XI shortlist shows.

This season, he has allowed eight goals in 14 league appearances. Juventus are undefeated in those 14 matches (and undefeated on the season).

11. Andrea Pirlo

Age: 32

Club: Juventus

Country: Italy

Position: Midfielder

It was tempting to write off Andrea Pirlo after AC Milan cut loose the veteran midfielder last summer.

Now, though, he's having something of a career renaissance with Juventus. Not coincidentally, Juventus are currently joint-top of the Serie A table under first-year manager Antonio Conte.

Pirlo has played in 15 of Juventus' 16 league matches, generally to good effect. If Juventus go on to win the Scudetto, Pirlo will no doubt play a starring role.

10. Raul

Age: 34

Club: Schalke 04

Country: Spain

Position: Forward

Raul had already built a glittering career before he moved to Schalke. In 16 seasons with Real Madrid, Raul scored 323 goals in all competitions.

He's the all-time leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 71 goals—15 more than second-placed Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

In his first season at Schalke, Raul scored 19 goals in all competitions. That included two goals in Schalke's memorable two-legged quarterfinal win over Inter Milan in the Champions League quarterfinals.

So far this season, Raul has scored 13 more goals in all competitions.

9. Xabi Alonso

Age: 30

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Spain

Position: Midfielder

Xabi Alonso is one of the most versatile stars in world football.

The 30-year-old Spaniard can man-mark a dangerous opposing attacker out of a game. Or he can play a pivotal offensive and defensive role in Spain's flowing formation.

With his combination of offensive and defensive prowess, Xabi Alonso is one of the most valuable players in world football today.

8. John Terry

Age: 31

Club: Chelsea

Country: England

Position: Defender

Love him or hate him (I lean decisively towards the latter), John Terry is still a great player.

The England and Chelsea captain was named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2009. He was the PFA Player of the Year in 2005.

Terry also made the FIFPro World XI every year from 2005 to 2008.

OK, so Terry is probably not the player he once was. And he's occasionally mistake-prone. But he's still one of the best defenders in England, and he's definitely one of the world's best defenders over the age of 30.

7. Ryan Giggs

Age: 38

Club: Manchester United

Country: Wales

Position: Midfielder

Ryan Giggs made his debut in March 1991. In the fall of 2011, a much grayer Giggs was helping United challenge for another title.

Indeed, despite all their injuries, the Red Devils still have a world-class midfielder in Giggs. The thing is, though, these days he's filling a role that's completely different from than the one that made him famous.

In another life, Giggs was a quick winger who beat defenders in bunches with his dribbling and pace. In his current incarnation, Giggs is a central midfielder who pulls the strings from a deeper position.

When Paul Scholes retired at the end of last season, United didn't really find a true replacement. But with Giggs around, they didn't really have to. As United manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently said:

"

"There is no evidence at this moment in time that his energy, stamina or speed are decreasing. In fact, it's exactly the same as it was the last two or three years. It's amazing."

"

Amazing enough that United are planning to offer Giggs yet another contract extension.

Funny how things work out sometimes.

6. Antonio Di Natale

Age: 34

Club: Udinese

Country: Italy

Position: Forward

Even at 34, Antonio Di Natale just can't stop scoring. The two-time defending Capcannoniere (the highest scorer in Italy's Serie A), Di Natale is at it again this season with 10 goals in his first 15 league matches.

In 2009-10, the Italian international scored 29 goals in 35 league appearances. Last season, he bagged 28 in 36.

Di Natale is showing no signs of letting up. If he makes Italy's squad for Euro 2012, he could be a player to watch next summer.

5. Nemanja Vidic

Age: 30

Club: Manchester United

Country: Serbia

Position: Defender

Nemanja Vidic is injured again, and this time it's a long-term setback.

It doesn't matter. When healthy, the Serbian terminator is perhaps the best defender in the world. In 2011, he picked up his second Barclays Player of the Season award.

Still, he turned 30 in October and is currently dealing with a long-term injury.

Could this be the beginning of the decline?

4. David Villa

Age: 30

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Position: Forward

It might be a long time before we see David Villa again on the pitch. That's a shame. He's one of the best players in world football.

Villa can be both a poacher and a scorer of great goals.

For all the talk of Villa struggling to fit in at Barcelona, he had 23 goals and nine assists in his first season with the club.

Let's hope he recovers quickly. It's intriguing to think of what Villa could do when fully integrated into the Barca squad.

3. Samuel Eto'o

Age: 30

Club: Anzhi Makhachkala

Country: Cameroon

Position: Forward

Samuel Eto'o got his career going when he joined Mallorca on loan in 2000. Since then, he's consistently ranked among the game's top forwards.

His strike rate supports that statement: In 351 league appearances with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Mallorca and Russia's Anzhi Makhachkala, Eto'o has scored 201 goals.

He finished the 2010-11 season with 37 goals and 15 assists in 53 total appearances for Inter. Then, Inter decided to cash in, selling Eto'o to Anzhi.

Eto'o hasn't slowed down in Russia. In 11 league appearances so far, he has scored eight times, proving he is still one of the most fearsome attackers in world football.

2. Iker Casillas

Age: 30

Club: Real Madrid

Country: Spain

Position: Goalkeeper

Iker Casillas is generally considered among the best goalkeepers in world football. He's been named the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper three years running, and he made the shortlist for the 2011 FIFPro World XI.

For Real Madrid, he has helped lead a defense that has conceded 15 goals in 16 matches so far this season. At the international level, he has won an astounding 127 caps.

As captain of both, Casillas has won loads of silverware in recent years. With Real Madrid, he lifted the 2011 Copa del Rey. With Spain, he won Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010.

Could Euro 2012 be next?

1. Xavi

Age: 31

Club: Barcelona

Country: Spain

Position: Midfielder

That Cesc Fabregas is now being used as a center forward at Barcelona is testament to Xavi's greatness.

Cesc, you'll remember, was brought to Barca as a potential successor to Xavi. But Xavi, 31, is showing no signs of letting up. Thus Cesc has moved farther and farther away from his preferred role—which nobody plays better than Xavi.

On almost any other team, Xavi would be the undisputed superstar. But on Barcelona, he's another member of Lionel Messi's supporting cast.

That doesn't, however, diminish Xavi's greatness. He recently passed 600 appearances for Barcelona, marking the occasion with a goal in the 3-1 win over Real Madrid.

A finalist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the third straight year, Xavi is among the best handful of players in the world.