As more elite soccer players compete well into their late 30s and even their 40s, advancements in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and recovery are changing what is possible for aging athletes. Dr. Riley J. Williams III, Director of the FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), recently shared his insights with Bloomberg on how modern sports medicine is helping athletes extend their careers at the highest level.
The article, How World Cup Stars Pushing 40 Are Defying Their Biological Clocks, highlights the record number of veteran players competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including global icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Luka Modrić.
According to Dr. Williams, today’s approach to athlete care goes far beyond treating injuries. Recovery strategies are individualized and designed to preserve performance throughout a long season.
“These high-functioning players are very valuable, so you want to watch them, you want to preserve them, you want to give them feedback on a day-to-day basis with regard to how can we best preserve their ability,” Dr. Williams told Bloomberg.
He also noted that advances in orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation have dramatically reduced the number of injuries once considered career-ending.
“The list of career-ending injuries has significantly decreased over the past 20 years,” he said.
As a FIFA Venue Medical Officer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Director of the FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence at HSS, Dr. Williams continues to help advance the science of sports medicine, enabling elite athletes to recover more effectively, perform longer, and compete at the highest level.
Source: Bloomberg, “How World Cup Stars Pushing 40 Are Defying Their Biological Clocks.”