The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off this Sunday, June 15, 2025, in the United States of America, bringing together 32 clubs in a newly expanded format that will now be played every four years.
As the tournament gets underway, much of the spotlight is on experience, specifically, player longevity, and Uganda’s Denis Onyango is among the veterans commanding attention.
At 40 years old, the legendary former Uganda Cranes captain and goalkeeper will represent Mamelodi Sundowns, competing alongside other global icons who have graced the beautiful game for nearly two decades.
Onyango shares the same age bracket as Brazilian star Thiago Silva, the former AC Milan, PSG, and Chelsea defender, who recently returned to Fluminense, the Brazilian club he last played for in 2009.
Silva, who captains Fluminense, will be featuring in his second Club World Cup, having won the tournament with Chelsea in 2021.
While Silva is a household name in Europe, Onyango’s name resonates across African football, particularly in South Africa, where he has played since 2006.
He is the most decorated player in Premier Soccer League (PSL) history, winning 12 titles, nine with Mamelodi Sundowns and three with SuperSport United.
A key figure in Sundowns’ historic CAF Champions League victory in 2016, Onyango was also named African Player of the Year (Based in Africa) the same year.
He earned a spot in the CAF Team of the Year in both 2016 and 2018.
However, Onyango and Silva are not the oldest players at this year’s Club World Cup.
That title goes to Fábio Deivson Lopes Maciel, aged 44, a goalkeeper and Silva’s teammate at Fluminense.
Fábio was also part of the 2023 tournament and now ties Oscar Pérez as the oldest player in Club World Cup history.
Right behind Onyango and Silva are Luka Modrić and Gustavo Cabral, both aged 39.
Modrić, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, began his professional career in 2003 at Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia before making moves to Tottenham Hotspur and later Real Madrid, where he has enjoyed a glittering run.
He’s won 28 major trophies with Madrid, including five Club World Cup titles, and could claim a record sixth in what will be his final appearance for the Spanish giants.
The midfield maestro officially bid farewell to Madrid fans at the end of the 2024/25 La Liga season and is rumored to be heading to AC Milan.
Modrić’s age-mate Cabral, an Argentine defender, will represent Pachuca of Mexico at the tournament.
The competition kicks off with a headline match between Al Ahly (Egypt) and Inter Miami (USA), with global icon Lionel Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, leading the American club.
Match Schedule Highlights
- Sunday: Al Ahly vs Inter Miami
- Tuesday: Fluminense (Silva & Fábio) vs Borussia Dortmund
- Wednesday: Mamelodi Sundowns (Onyango) vs Ulsan Hyundai
- Wednesday: Real Madrid (Modrić) vs Al-Hilal
- Thursday: Pachuca (Cabral) vs RB Salzburg
From South America to Africa and Europe to Asia, this year’s FIFA Club World Cup brings together not just elite clubs, but seasoned legends whose presence alone commands global respect.
