Egyptian grandpa sets record for world's oldest footballer aged 74

Ezzeldin Bahader scripted history after he was recognized as the oldest active professional football player on the planet.

Many, if not most, football players start showing a rapid decline as soon as they enter their 30s.

Of course, there are exceptions to that theory. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos are a few who come to mind for showing little signs of slowing down despite being in the late stages of their careers.

Despite their impressive ability to avoid decline and prolong their time on the pitch, it won’t be too long before the battle against time becomes quite intimidating for the aforementioned players.

However, there one player who is showing an immense determination to stand the test of time.

Egyptian Ezzeldin Bahader, grandfather of 6, has been recognized as the oldest player in the world just short of his 75th birthday.

Bahader was honored by the Guinness World Records on October 6 after featuring in his second match for his local club in the Egyptian third division back in January.

The 74-year old missed a penalty as his team lost 3-2 to El Ayat Sports club but not all was a disappointment for him as he fulfilled the criteria required by the Guinness World Records to be officially named as the world’s oldest player.

“I dream of being able to break my own record one more time, just to make the competition a little harder,” Bahader, who is currently a free agent, told reporters, as per Reuters.