It was a very long time ago in football years, 2007. Entire careers have begun and ended in the 17 years since. Yet, some of the stars of Copa America 2007 are still making their living on football pitches across the globe, not least Lionel Messi — but you already know about him.
We’re bringing you seven ballers you’re going to be familiar with but who you may not have known have kept their careers alive. We genuinely assumed one or two of them had retired at least five years ago…
Brazil won the tournament in Venezuela, beating Argentina 3-0 in the final. Julio Baptista scored — remember him? He’s retired now.
In fact, he’s coaching for Ronaldo Nazario-owned Valladolid. One of his cult-favourite teammates is still balling, however. Let’s start with him, actually…
Vagner Love
Vagner Love poses one of football’s great unanswerable questions simply by existing — would Vagner Love have been a cult figure if he didn’t have an objectively class name?
We’ll never know, but that’s okay. Life is nothing without mystery.
In 2024, Love is back in the Brazilian top flight with Atletico Goianiense, having just finished a very respectable season in the second tier with Sporting Recife. He’s 39 and still going strong. Love always wins.
Andres Guardado
When Guardado turned out for Mexico at Copa America 2007, he was on the verge of signing for Deportivo La Coruna, his first foray into European football.
Since then, he’s been an ever-present in our football subconscious. Sort of existing without being in the prominent in our thoughts. Like the GCSE French lying dormant in your memory just in case you find yourself lost and stranded in Alsace.
The winger-cum-fullback is now at Leon in his native Mexico, having spent seven seasons at Betis in the famous green and white.
READ NEXT: 12 players we can’t believe have never won Copa America: Neymar, Maradona, Pele…
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every country that has qualified for the 2024 Copa America?
Guillermo Ochoa
Pitbull’s spiritual cousin, Mr. World Cup, was 21 back in 2007.
The man with the headband is an industry-leading expert at disappearing from the public consciousness during the domestic season, then morphing into the planet’s greatest goalkeeper for the duration of a summer tournament.
That’s how legends are born, frankly. How many clips you seen of Pele playing for Santos? What do you know about Geoff Hurst’s loan spell at Cape Town City?
Exactly.
Ochoa has just been relegated to the Italian Serie B with Salernitana. Doesn’t matter, though. Club football is a distraction to this man.
Hugo Rodallega
Can’t quite believe Hugo Rodallega is still playing football. The man is pure Barclay’s. Wigan heritage, and still their all-time Premier League top goalscorer.
The Colombian is back in his home country now, plying his trade with Sante Fe in Bogota.
Brad Guzan
It’s weird that our research is telling us Brad Guzan is 39 years old, when he’s quite obviously in his late 50s. The ex-Villain, Tiger, and Smoggie keeper is now looking after the space between the sticks for Atlanta United in Georgia, not a million miles away from where it all started for the American with the South Carolina Gamecocks.
We’ve literally only mentioned Guzan’s college team, there, because they’ve got a funny name.
The Gamecocks.
Ha.
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every club to win the Copa Libertadores?
Gonzalo Jara
This fella might be retired. Not sure. Difficult to tell. As far as we can see, Jara was still with Coquimbo Unido in Chile last year, but that’s where the trail goes cold on the former Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and West Brom man.
Why else do you remember Jara’s name, though? Allow us to jog your memory:
The centre-back missed the last two games of Copa 2015, which Chile (his team) actually won, because he provoked Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani into getting sent off, after slapping the marble-chiselled striker and then shoving his finger up Cavani’s anus.
Jara was banned, and subsequently had his contract terminated by his club side, Mainz. There’s a lesson to be learned here, and that lesson is: Don’t sexually assault people.
Diego Godin
Uruguay and Atletico Madrid legend Godin left Europe in 2022, after a three-season stint in Serie A. Since then, the centre-back has been playing in Brazil, Argentina, and now Porongos in his native Uruguay.
