The Best Over 35 Athletes Today

Most of the time, athletes reach their prime around the age of 30. After that, they start to decline and retire after a few seasons. Not these guys, however. These people continue to defile the laws of time and continue their battle with father time. You know what they say, father time is forever undefeated. Well, if that’s the case, these players are certainly going 12 rounds in the ring with it. These are the best over 35 athletes today.

The lists of great athletes over 35 are getting out of hand. Each year, more and more players become eligible to be included after hitting that age 35 mark. In this list, we included six players or legends to be more precise, from various sports. Some of them have been here for a while other only joined the over 35 clubs recently. Putting together the list was extremely hard and some truly incredible players had to be left out sadly. So, check out our list and let us know who you think the best over 35 athlete is today in 2022.

Tom Brady Returns for His 23rd Season to Haunt Defensive Lines

TB12 will turn 45 on August 3 which is bonkers. After pulling a 180 on his retirement announcement after the Super Bowl back in February, Brady will return to the Bucs to play in his 23rd season. If you think Mr. 7 rings doesn’t deserve to be on a list of the best athletes over 35 you might want to take a look at yourself in a mirror.

The fact that Brady could’ve been included on this list 10 years ago is insane. He’s doing things in the NFL that shouldn’t be possible at this age. The GOAT’s retirement was short-lived and confusing, especially after the season he had. 

He threw for 5.316 yards (career record) and 43 touchdowns and was ranked 2nd among QBs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be back in the playoffs, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Brady didn’t reach another Super Bowl. After the announcement of his “comeback”, the Bucs’ chances for the upcoming season skyrocketed.

There’s no football player like TB12 and no one knows if we’ll ever see the likes of him again in the future. One thing is certain; the man has been defying the laws of time for a while now. Check out Bovada to see the Bucs’ odds for the 2022-2023 NFL season.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Clear Selection for Best Athletes Over 35 Today

At this point in his career, Ronaldo might be more popular than the Pope worldwide. At the age of 37, he is a no-brainer on any list that’s about the best athletes over 35 today. CR7 could be included on lists with no age specified. The Portuguese superstar continues to perform at the highest level and has given both his teammates and opponents a run for their money.

In the 21/22 season, he scored 18 goals and had 3 assists in 30 Premier League matches. While United’s UCL run was short, Ronaldo had 6 goals in 6 matches trying to keep his team in the competition.

A one-in-a-billion player, Ronaldo will compete in the World Cup with Portugal later this year. Check out our World Cup Group H betting predictions to see how far CR7 and co. can go. His future at Manchester is cloudy and the legend has been linked to many clubs recently. No one knows where he will play next season but he will be back. We might never see another player or athlete like Cristiano Ronaldo ever again. His career statistics and achievements can only be compared to one player.

Lionel Messi Can Still Play at the Highest Level After Turning 35

The Argentine magician turned 35 in June 2022 so he’s still new to this club. It was inevitable to include a player on this list with the stature of Messi. Along with Ronaldo, Messi is considered the greatest of all time. The two of them set the bars and expectations so high that they might never be touched again.

Setting records after records, Messi will go down in history books. One of the best athletes over 35 today, the Barcelona legend still performs at a high level. In Ligue 1, he had 6 goals and 15 assists in 26 matches. During PSG’s UCL campaign Messi found the back of the net 5 times in 7 matches.

While these numbers would be good for most players, they’re bad for Messi’s standards. It might be that nr. 30 kit he’s wearing at PSG. The 7-time Ballon d’Or winner will be coming for the World Cup trophy in November and December. See our Group C betting predictions and find out why Argentina is one of the best teams in the world. It will be sad for the world when Ronaldo and Messi retire. Arguably the two greatest of all time, both of their careers are the stuff of legends.

LeBron James is the Best Over 35 Basketball Player of All Time

The King will turn 38 at the end of the year but he continues to be one of the best players in the NBA. He’s also the best player on the Lakers, which is troubling since that means trouble for the future of the franchise. James only played 56 games in the 2021-22 season but averaged 30.3 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 8.2 RPG.

He could’ve won the scoring title but after missing the playoffs he voiced his uninterest in the award. There have been many players in the NBA who were good over the age of 35 but none can hold a candle to LeBron. James was also ranked high by online sportsbooks in the US.

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One of the winningest players of all time, James broke multiple records last season. He’s the only player with over 10.000 points, assists, and rebounds. Furthermore, he’s also on the path to breaking Kareem’s all-time scoring record. If he keeps this form, he can become the all-time leading scorer in the NBA in fewer than 60 games.

James will stay with the Lakers for next season and after that, his contract ends. But we’re certain he’ll stick around for a few more years after that. LeBron’s career makes him the most complete basketball player of all time and a clear pick on our list of best athletes over 35 today.

Tiger Woods is Here to Stay, for Now

The Tiger will turn 47 on the same day as LeBron turns 38, December 30. He is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time and one of the best modern athletes. Tiger Woods revolutionized golf and played a big part in making the sport popular. He was ranked number one in the world for almost the entire 2000s.

Tiger is tied 1st all-time for PGA Tour wins and 3rd all-time for European tour wins. His achievements and awards could go on for multiple pages. 2021 was an eventful and sad year for the athlete. 

After suffering a car accident last year, Woods didn’t return to the PGA Tour until the 2022 Masters in April. Despite the countless rumors, the golf legend recently stated that he’s not retiring. However, he had to withdraw from the PGA Championship due to his injured leg.

Tiger isn’t the dominant force that he was once but he’s still one of the best athletes over 35 today. As of now, the 46-year-old will continue to play. Bovada includes multiple golf betting options and special bets regarding Tiger Woods regularly, in case you want to follow the legend’s path.

Rafael Nadal’s Historical Year Puts Him Among the Best Athletes Over 35 Today

Nadal currently ranks 3rd in ATP rankings in the world. He’s also at least ten years older than the two players before him. The 36-year-old is already considered a legend of the sport and had high rankings for a long time. He won the 2022 Australian and French Opens, thus he’s more than deserving to be put on this list.

According to multiple sites such as Ranker, Nadal is not only the best athlete over 35 in 2022 but the best overall as well. Of course, we’re still only in July and these rankings are bound to see some changes.

Nadal is often included and associated with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The three make up the Holy Trinity in world tennis and are widely considered the three best players of all time in the sport. Nadal’s historical year started with his 89th ATP singles title, followed by his second Australian Open title.

That extended his major titles to 21, one more than Federer and Djokovic. This was followed by winning the title at the Mexican Open. The French Open was his 22nd title and also became the oldest player to win the title. Nadal saw a lot of success this year, but he eventually withdrew from Wimbledon after an abdominal injury.

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