9 players from the 2010 World Cup we can’t believe are still playing in 2024

Everyone knows the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still going today having played at the 2010 World Cup – but some of the other active stars from that tournament may surprise you.

Whether you didn’t realise they were old enough to go to the tournament, or simply surprised their creaking limbs are still active today, some of the names on this list will cause your eyebrow to enter a new stratosphere.

We’ve identified nine players who participated at South Africa 2010 and how they’re getting on today.

Javier Hernandez

Hernandez burst onto the scene at this World Cup, scoring against France and Argentina in an exciting Mexico side.

The striker soon moved to Manchester United and netted 20 goals in his debut season in English football, cementing his status as a cult hero at Old Trafford.

Following stints with Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and Sevilla, Hernandez eventually ended up at LA Galaxy where he went on to spend the next four years.

After missing the majority of last season through injury, the 36-year-old has since returned to Mexico and now stars for Guadalajara in Liga MX.

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Jesus Navas

Called up for the finals in South Africa, Navas scored his first international goal in a warm-up match against South Korea and went on to make three appearances in Spain’s victorious campaign – including the last 30 minutes and extra-time in the final.

Over the subsequent 14 years, he’s seamlessly transitioned from a pacy winger into a dependable full-back and managed his career excellently.

The 38-year-old is the record appearance maker for Sevilla, having made over 680 appearances for the Spanish club. When he does eventually call it quits on his career, he’ll certainly go down in Sevilla folklore.

Joel Matip

Matip was just 18 when he was named in the Cameroon squad for the 2010 finals – we genuinely thought he was too young for the tournament but that’s not the first time we’ve been proven wrong.

Then at Schalke, Matip started their opening defeat to Japan at right midfield before being dropped for the African’s two subsequent defeats to Denmark and the Netherlands.

Having just been released by Liverpool, the 32-year-old will be hoping to find a new club before the 2024-25 season begins.

Christian Eriksen

The youngest player at the 2010 World Cup, Eriksen made two substitute appearances for Denmark in their surprising group-stage elimination.

He’s since become the greatest Danish player of his generation and the Manchester United midfielder will be a crucial part of their Euro 2024 squad.

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Lukas Podolski

Having burst onto the scene at Germany’s own World Cup in 2006, Podolski scored twice four years later as Germany free-wheeled their way to the semis.

The winger arguably never quite fulfilled that early potential, but he was part of Die Mannschaft’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad, and he’s provided some magical moments with that left peg over the years – including during a three-year spell at Arsenal.

Now 39, Podolski now plays his football for Polish club Gornik Zabrze and owns a chain of kebab shops. This is a guy who knows how to live.

Andre-Pierre Gignac

2010 was a well-documented clusterf*ck of a tournament for France, with Gignac making two substitute appearances and starting the defeat against South Africa.

Now 38, the big striker is living his best life out in Mexico with Tigres. Felicidades!

READ: Andre-Pierre Gignac: The anti-footballing hero living the dream in the Mexican sunset

Roque Santa Cruz

Death. Taxes. Santa Cruz playing football.

The Paraguayan is 42 years old and turning out in his home country for Libertad.

Lee Chung-yong

Then at Bolton, Lee was part of a quietly impressive South Korea side that progressed out of the group stage on foreign soil for the first time.

Scorer against Argentina and Uruguay, the winger remained in English football with Bolton and Crystal Palace until 2018, before eventually moving back to his native Korea in 2020.

He currently plays for Ulsan HD.

Vladimir Weiss

Known for his speed and trickery from the wing, Weiss was widely expected to make the transition from the youth ranks at City into the first team.

But the Slovakia international would make a single appearance for City, instead spending loan spells at Bolton, Rangers and Espanyol before leaving for good in 2012.

At least he was part of his country’s sole World Cup campaign, where Slovakia shocked holders Italy to make it into the last 16.

He’s managed to play 66 times for Slovakia, but Weiss’ club career never took off as expected. He’s back in his home country with Slovan Bratislava.