- Bravo started the first match of the Chile tournament against Peru
- In this match he faced the second oldest active player in the tournament, Pablo Guerrero
Age is just a number for Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. The veteran of the previous six CONMEBOL Copa América™ took the field for its seventh edition when Chile opened the 2024 tournament against Peru on June 21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
At 41 years and 69 days, the Chilean became the oldest player to appear in a CONMEBOL Copa América™ match this century, and also became the only player over 40 to start a match. of the tournament in this century. He also performed well, helping Chile start their campaign with a clean sheet and pick up a point in Group A.
The second oldest player to play this century? That would be his opponent during the match against Peru, the legendary scorer Paolo Guerrero. The 40-year-old forward came off the Bicolor bench and even recorded a shot against Bravo. This was the sixth edition of the tournament for Guerrero, who - since his debut in the 2007 edition - only missed 2021 due to a knee injury. Guerrero is also seeking another record during this competition, with 14 goals scored on the tournament's all-time scoring chart, just 3 behind the record of 17 held by Méndez and Zizinho.
Both players are likely playing in their final CONMEBOL Copa América™, and it's a great opportunity for fans to enjoy them while they're still competing and marvel at the records they have and could yet break.
