Marcelo Moreno joins growing list of veteran strikers in South America | OneFootball

Marcelo Moreno wasn’t joking when he said last year that he was considering coming out of retirement with his eyes on the World Cup with Bolivia.

After being announced last week, he will be officially presented this Saturday (14th) by Oriente Petrolero.

He will play without receiving a salary as a gesture of “gratitude” to the club that discovered him. And he will try to attract attention to play in the World Cup after two full years without playing. 

He joins the list of veteran and star strikers who are attractions on South American pitches beyond just the Brazilian ones.

See more about Marcelo Moreno below, and then the list of the “endless ones.”

There’s still the playoff...

Marcelo Moreno hasn’t played since December 17, 2023, when he played his last match for Independiente del Valle.

The same year he said goodbye to the national team, of which he is the top scorer.

📸 Ernesto Ryan - 2023 Getty Images

He even returned to Cruzeiro in 2024 for a farewell, but didn’t take the field.

His Bolivia got the better of Venezuela to secure seventh place in the South American Qualifiers. 

Thus guaranteeing a spot in the intercontinental playoff.

The first mission will be to get past Suriname on March 26 at the BBVA Stadium in Mexico.

The winning team will try to enter Group I of the World Cup, the same group as France, Norway, and Senegal, by facing Iraq on April 1.

La Verde hasn’t played in a World Cup since the 1994 edition in the United States. They were also in Brazil in 1950. 

🇦🇷 Di María (Rosario Central) - 37 years old

He is one of several on the list who returned to his boyhood club. A legend of Argentine football, Di María was a star at Benfica and PSG. He also had a good spell at Real. He returned to Los Canallas last year and lifted the “League Champion” trophy.

🇦🇷 Vegetti (Cerro Porteño) - 37 years old

The “younger” Pirate made a name for himself at Vasco. He left the Cruz-Maltino in search of a bigger contract and as the top scorer in Brazilian football in 2025. 

🇦🇷 Cavani (Boca Juniors) - 38 years old

After becoming a legend at Napoli and PSG, Cavani also played for United and Valencia before joining Boca in 2023. He stood out the following season, but didn’t have the best 2025.

🇧🇴 Marcelo Moreno (Oriente Petrolero) - 38 years old

The “Arrowman” turned professional at Petrolero. He had a good spell at Vitória, became an idol at Cruzeiro, and also played for Grêmio and Flamengo in Brazilian football. 

🇨🇴 Falcao García (Millonarios) - 40 years old

After great spells at Porto, Atlético de Madrid, and Monaco, Falcao García didn’t repeat his performances at subsequent clubs. He only had good numbers at Galatasaray.

He returned to his first youth club in 2024. And he’s still there.

🇨🇴 Hugo Rodallega (Santa Fe) - 40 years old

A player who had spells at Wigan and Fulham, Rodallega performed well with Bahia between 2021 and 2022. He became an idol at Independiente Santa Fe, even scoring a title-winning goal in Colombia.

🇨🇴 Teo Gutierrez (Junior Barranquilla) - 40 years old

He’s already on his fourth stint at the club that discovered him. He had good seasons with River and Sporting outside Colombia. 

🇦🇷 Barcos (Cajamarca) - 41 years old

The “first” Pirate to play in Brazilian football – he played for Palmeiras, Grêmio, and Cruzeiro – was playing for Alianza Lima alongside Guerrero before accepting a new adventure in Peruvian football. 

🇵🇪 Guerrero (Alianza Lima) - 42 years old

The top scorer in the history of the Peruvian national team turned professional at Bayern, but had come through the youth ranks at Alianza Lima. He returned to his boyhood club in 2024.

He also had important spells at Hamburg, Corinthians, Flamengo, and Internacional. He also played (without scoring) for Avaí in Brazil. 

🇵🇾 Roque Santa Cruz (Nacional-PAR) - 42 years old

He is “just” the only player from the 2002 World Cup still active.

A product of Olimpia, he had a long career with Bayern and also played for City and Málaga in Europe, for example.

He returned to Paraguay in 2016 to play for Olimpia, went through Libertad, and joined Nacional for this season.

Óscar Cardozo, an idol at Benfica, is also 42 and currently without a club. But he hasn’t officially announced his retirement yet.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

📸 CRISTINA QUICLER - AFP or Licensors