Former Gunner wants to play at World Cup aged 41 | OneFootball

Former Gunner Alexis Sanchez is hoping to play in the 2030 World Cup with Chile, despite the fact he’ll be 41 years old.

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Former Arsenal winger Alexis Sanchez continues to play his football in Europe’s top-five leagues, joining Sevilla FC over the summer and providing a clever backheel assist on his debut last Friday.

Yet you’d be forgiven for assuming that the 36-year-old was winding down his career, following a disappointing spell and no goals or assists with Udinese last season.

The forward struggled with injury, only racking up 479 minutes on the pitch across the entire campaign. That’s the equivalent of a little more than five 90-minute matches, but spread over 12 months and 14 appearances.

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Sanchez himself insists that he has a while to go yet, and he’s still hoping to play for Chile at the World Cup in 2030.

“I didn’t come here for a walk,” Sanchez told AS this week. “I’m going to try to make it difficult for [Matias] Almeyda, so he can see that I can help the starting lineup.

“They’re always talking about age, age… I’ve been training for 20 years, I go away and train alone too, then you go home to rest all day.

“The life of a football player is privileged. If we take responsibility, we can last a long time.”

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“The love of football is what keeps me going,” Sanchez added. “Of course [I want to keep playing for Chile], it’s my country.

“Few (Chilean) players in Europe are at the level I, [Gabriel] Suazo, and some others are at. As long as I can contribute and am physically fit, I always want to be with the national team.

“I would like to go to another World Cup with Chile; it would be in 2030, at [41] years old. I have to be physically and mentally fit, and professionalism tells you that over time.”

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Chile failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, finishing bottom of the qualification standings. The CONMEBOL qualifiers are always hugely competitive, with big footballing nations regularly missing out on major tournaments.

Sanchez will feel that his absence played a part, having only been fit and selected for seven of Chile’s 18 qualifiers. But it’s clear that there needs to be a major improvement between now and 2030 if he’s going to achieve his goal.

It’s not an impossible dream, though. Seven players have already played in World Cup tournaments despite being over 40.

Admittedly, six of them were goalkeepers, but it seems likely the number of outfielders will increase in the coming years. Maybe Sanchez will be among them.