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Longest NT careers

14K views 147 replies 28 participants last post by  jamesbh11 
#1 · (Edited)
I´d love to compile list of players with longest NT careers. Helped myself with list of footballers with most caps

25 years, 2 months, 19 days (9211 days) César Cueto (Peru) 1972-1997 (6.6.1972 - 24.8.1997)

25 years (9131 days) William Henry "Billy" Meredith (Wales) 1895-1920 (16.03.1895-15.03.1920)


25 years (needs to be narrowed) Lee Ramoon, Cayman Islands, 1979-2004

22 years, 7 months, 17 days
(8265 days) Sir Stanley Matthews (England) 1934-1957

22 years, 3 months, 7 days Pat Onstad (Canada) 18.02.1988 - 24.05.2010.

22 years, 1 month, 29 days (8094 days) Pat Jennings (N.Ireland) 15-4-64 12-6-86

21 years, 4 months, 13 days Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia) 24.04.1983 - 05.09.2004
Note. First game he has played in qualification match for African Cup of Nations in Ndola against Sudan and last match against Liberia in 2004.

21 years, 2 months, 29 days Bill Lacey (Northern Ireland/Irish Free State) 13.02.1909 - 11.05.1930

21 years, 2 months, 9 days (7741 days) Mágico González (El Salvador) 1976-1998 (1.12.1976 - 9.2.1998)

21 years, 27 days (7697 days) Jari Litmanen (Finland) 22.10.1989-17.11.2010

20 years, 11 months, 10 days (7651 days) Mimis Domazos (Greece) 2.12.1959-11.11.1980

20 years, 9 months, 20 days
(7599 days) Ryan Giggs (Wales/G.Britain) 1991-2012 Note: still active player

20 years, 9 months, 14 days (7592 days) Hossam Hassan (Egypt) 1985-2006 (10.9.1985-26.6.2006)

20 years, 6 months, 4 days (7491 days) Imre Schlosser (Hungary) 7.10.1906-10.4.1927

20 years, 5 months (7456 days) Russel Latapy (Trinidad Tobago) 30.10.1988 - 29.3.2009

20 years, 3 months Dwight Yorke (Trinidad Tobago) 13- 5-1989 - 12- 8-2009

20 years 2 months 9 days, Carlo Weiss (Luxembourg), debuted 22.03.1978 vs Poland, last match 31.05.1998 vs Cameroon

20 years, 1 month, 1 day Sargis Hovsepyan (Armenia) 14.10.19.92 - 14.11.2012.

20 years, 7 days (7312 days) Lothar Matthaus (W.Germany/Germany) 14.6.1980-20.6.2000

19 years, 7 months, 13 days (7165 days) Peter Shilton (England) 25.11.1970-7.7.1990 - Note: played 12 games in his last year

19 years, 5 months, 30 days (7121 days) Roberto Palacios (Peru) 24.11.1992-23.5.2012 Note: last game 3 years after his real NT retirement

19 years, 3 months, 15 days (7047 days) Mark Schwarzer (Australia) 31.7.1993-14.11.2012 Note: still active player

19 years, 20 days Abe Lenstra (Netherlands) 31.03.1940 - 19.04.1959

18 years, 10 months, 21 days (6900 days) Carmel Busuttil (Malta) 5.6.1982-25.4.2001

18 years, 10 months, 11 days (6889 days) Guðni Bergsson (Iceland), 1.8.1984 - 11.6.2003

18 years, 8 months, 27 days (6844 days) Morten Olsen (Denmark) 23.9.1970-18.6.1989 all games on rsssf


18 years, 1 month, 28 days Gunnar Gren (Sweden) 29.08.1940 - 26.10.1958
18 years Iván Hurtado (Ecuador) 1992-2010 Note: still active player
18 years Luis Capurro (Ecuador) 1985-2003
18 years Tony Meola (USA) 1988-2006
18 years Fritz Walter (Germany/W.Germany) 1940-1958
18 years Romário (Brazil) 1987-2005
18 years Alfred Bickel (Switzerland) 1936-1954
18 years Rüştü Reçber (Turkey) 1994-2012
18 years Sami Hyypiä (Finland) 1992-2010
18 years Toni Polster (Austria) 1982-2000
18 years Vitālijs Astafjevs (Latvia) 1992-2010
18 years Mario Frick (Liechtenstein) 1993-2011 Note: still active
18 years Ríkharður Jónsson (Iceland) 1947–1965
18 years Arnór Guðjohnsen (Iceland) 1979–1997



Other interesting names

17 years Billy McCracken (Ireland) 1902-1919
(17 years, 3 months, 29 days)Diego Maradona (Argentina) 27.02.1977 - 25.06.1994
17 years Silvio Piola (Italy) 1935-1952
17 years Ferenc Puskás (Hungary/Spain) 1945-1962
17 years Tóth-Potya István (Hungary) 1909-1926
17 years Ferenc Bene (Hungary) 1962-1979
17 years Javier Zanetti (Argentina) 1994-2011 Note: still active player
17 years Gheorghe Hagi (Romania) 1983-2000
17 years Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) 1995-2012
17 years Hugo Sánchez (Mexico) 1977-1994
17 years Rigobert Song (Cameroon) 1993-2010
17 years Martin Reim (Estonia) 1992-2009 157 caps
17 years Andres Oper (Estonia) 1995 Edit: still active 129 caps
17 years Mart Poom (Estonia) 1992-2009 120 caps
17 years Bogdan Stelea (Romania) 1988-2005
17 years Kasey Keller (USA) 1990-2007
17 years Álex Aguinaga (Ecuador) 1987-2004
17 years David Carabott (Malta) 1987-2005
17 years Carlos Pavón (Honduras) 1993-2010
17 years Rúnar Kristinsson (Iceland) 1987-2004
17 years Harry Kewell (Australia) 1996 - 2013 still active
17 years Gigi Buffon (Italy) 1997 - 2013 still active

16 years, 10 months, 25 days Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria) 1994-2011 (05.05.1994. - 29.03.2011.)
16 years, 9 months, 28 days Jordão (Portugal) 29.03.1972 - 25.01.1989
16 years, 7 months, 6 days Hermann Springer (Switzerland) 06.10.1929 - 11.05.1946
16 years, 4 months, 19 days Turgay Şeren (Turkey) 28.05.1950 - 16.10.1966
16 years, 4 months, 18 days Ernst Ocwirk (Austria) 19.08.1945 - 05.01.1962
16 years, 3 months, 25 days Lájos Tichy (Hungary) 1955-1971 (08.05.1955. - 01.09.1971.)
16 years, 1 month Luis Cristaldo (Bolivia) 1989-2005 (10.09.1989. - 09.10.2005.)
16 years, 15 days Ronny Johnsen (Norway) 08.08.1991 - 22.08.2007
16 years, 9 days Walter Weiler (Switzerland) 10.10.1926 - 18.10.1942
16 years Ted Doig (Scotland) 1887-1903
16 years Gren Morris (1896-1912) Wales
16 years Uwe Seeler (W.Germany) 1954-1970
16 years Antonio Carbajal (Mexico) 1950-1966
16 years Roberto Baggio (Italy) 1988-2004
16 years Paolo Maldini (Italy) 1988-2002
16 years Hakan Sukur (Turkey) 1992-2008
16 years Thomas Ravelli (Sweden) 1981-1997
16 years Miroslav Karhan (Slovakia) 1995-2011
16 years Michael Laudrup (Denmark) 1982-1998
16 years Vlastimil Kopecky (Czechoslovakia) 1932-1948
16 years Zdeněk Nehoda (Czechoslovakia) 1971-1987 Note: his last game was 10min cameo (aka NT testimonial) 5 years after his last NT appearance
16 years Djalma Santos (Brazil) 1952-1968
16 years Elías Figueroa (Chile) 1966-1982
16 years Cafú (Brazil) 1990-2006
16 years Carlos Caszely (Chile) 1969-1985
16 years Ángel Labruna (Argentina) 1914-1958
16 years Tore Keller (Sweden) 1924-1940
16 years Oleg Blokhin (USSR) 1972-1988
16 years Dorinel Munteanu (Romania) 1991-2007
16 years Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands) 1992-2008
16 years Hans-Jürgen Dörner (East Germany) 1969-1985
16 years Denis Law (Scotland) 1958-1974
16 years John Stern (Trinidad and Tobago) 1995-2011
16 years Lee Woon-Jae (South Korea) 1994-2010
16 years Héctor Chumpitaz (Peru) 1965-1981
16 years Roger Milla (Cameroon) 1978-1994
16 years Stem John (Trinidad Tobago) 1995 -2011
16 years Arnold Dwarika (Trinidad Tobago) 1993-2009
16 years Antonio "Tota" Carbajal (Mexico) 1950-1966

15 years, 11 months, 28 days Jim Leighton (Scotland) 13.10.1982 - 10.10.1998
15 years, 11 months, 28 days Henrik Larsson (Sweden) 1993-2009 (13.10.1993 - 10.10.2009)
(15 years, 9 months, 21 days) Angel LABRUNA (Argentina) 25.08.1942 - 15.06.1958
15 years, 8 months, 7 days Wilfried van Moer (Belgium) 22.10.1966 - 28.06.1982
15 years, 8 months, 4 days Ian Rush (Wales) 21.05.1980 - 24.01.1996
15 years, 7 months, 16 days Michel Preud'homme 02.05.1979 - 17.12.1994
15 years, 7 months, 15 days Reidar Kvammen (Norway) 05.11.1933 - 19.06.1949
15 years, 7 months, 9 days André Abegglen (Switzerland) 06.11.1927 - 14.06.1943
15 years, 6 months, 21 days Alain Geiger (Switzerland) 19.11.1980 - 08.06.1996
15 years, 6 months, 8 days Ivor Allchurch (Wales) 15.11.1950 - 22.05.1966
15 years, 6 months, 1 day Eric Gerets 27.09.1975 - 27.03.1991
15 years, 5 months, 27 days Ricardo Zamora (Spain) 28.08.1920 - 23.02.1936
15 years, 5 months, 1 day Björn Nordqvist (Sweden) 04.05.1963 - 04.10.1978
15 years, 2 months, 25 days Neville Southall (Wales) 27.05.1982 - 20.08.1997
15 years, 2 months, 23 days John Charles (Wales) 08.03.1950 - 30.05.1965
15 years, 2 months, 15 days Bruno Pezzey (Austria) 07.06.1975 - 21.08.1990
15 years, 2 months, 5 days Faas Wilkes (Netherlands) 10.03.1946 - 14.05.1961
15 years, 1 month, 25 days Gyula Grosics (Hungary) 20.08.1947 - 14.10.1962
15 years, 1 month, 9 days Jan Heintze (Denmark) 29.04.1987 - 06.06.2002
15 years, 1 month, 8 days Mark Hughes (Wales) 02.05.1984 - 09.06.1999
15 years, 25 days Andreas Herzog (Austria) 06.04.1988 - 30.04.2003
15 years, 21 days Peter Ducke (East Germany) 30.10.1960 - 19.11.1975
15 years, 3 days Dean Saunders (Wales) 26.03.1986 - 28.03.2001
15 years Johan Studnicka (Austria) 1902-1918
15 years John Darling (Ireland) 1897-1912
15 years James McMenemy (Scotland) 1905-1920
15 years Jenö Karöly (Hungary) 1903-1918
15 years Lot Jones (Wales) 1905-1920
15 years Dino Zoff (Italy) 1968-1983
15 years Héctor Scarone (Uruguay) 1917-1932
15 years William Martínez (Uruguay) (1950-1965)
15 years Enzo Francescoli (Uruguay) (1982-1997)
15 years József Bozsik (Hungary) 1947-1962
15 years Laszlo Kubala (Czechoslovakia/Hungary/Spain) 1946-1961
15 years Joachim Streich (E.Germany) 1969-1984
15 years Herbert Prohaska (Austria) 1974-1989
15 years Lefter Küçükandonyadis (Turkey) 1948-1963
15 years Bülent Korkmaz (Turkey) 1990-2005
15 years Luís Figo (Portugal) 1991-2006
15 years Gheorghe Popescu (Romania) 1988-2003
15 years Dragan Džajić (Yugoslavia) 1964-1979
15 years Krasimir Balakov (Bulgaria) 1988-2003
15 years Zizinho (Brazil) 1942-1957
15 years Claudio CANIGGIA (Argentina) 1987 - 2002
15 years Atli Eðvaldsson (Iceland) 1976–1991
15 years Hermann Hreiðarsson (Iceland) 1996–2011
15 years Helgi Sigurðsson (Iceland) 1993–2008
15 years Andy Selva (San Marino) 1998 - 2013 still active player
15 years Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Mexico) 1995-2010

14 years, 11 months, 6 days Thorbjørn Svenssen (Norway) 1947-1962 (11.06.1947 - 16.05.1962)
14 years, 9 months, 25 days Renzo De Vecchi (Italy) 26.05.1910 - 22.03.1925
(14 years, 8 months, 10 days) Jorge VALDANO (Argentina) 18.7.1975 - 28.3.1990
14 years, 5 months, 24 days Walter Zeman (Austria) 06.12.1945 - 29.05.1960
14 years, 3 months, 24 days Kees Rijvers (Netherlands) 10.03.1946 - 03.07.1960
(14 years, 3 months, 08 days) Juan Carlos IRIBARREN (Argentina) 22.10.1922 - 30.01.1937
14 years Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina/Colombia/Spain) 1947-1961
14 years Paul Van Himst (Belgium) 1960-1974
14 years Roberto Carlos (Brazil) 1992-2006
14 years Pelé (Brazil) 1957-1971
14 years Ferenc Szusza (Hungary) 1942-1956
14 years Roger Courtois (France) 1933-1947
14 years Jozef Adamec (Czechoslovakia) 1960-1974
14 years Johann Buzek (Austria) 1955-1969
14 years Peter Schmeichel (Denmark) 1987-2001
14 years Tugay Kerimoğlu (Turkey) 1992-2006
14 years Marius Lacatus (Romania) 1984-1998
14 years Cosmin Contra (Romania) 1996-2010)
14 years Bogdan Lobont (Romania) 1998-2012) y still active
14 years Silviu Lung (Romania) 1979-1993)
14 years Giacinto Facchetti (Italy) 1963-1977
14 years Ruud Krol (Netherlands) 1969-1983)
14 years Frank de Boer (Netherlands) 1990-2004
14 years Alex McNair (Scotland) 1906-1920
14 years Hugh Wilson ( Scotland) 1890-1904
14 years Ferenc Weisz (Hungary) 1903-1917
14 years Maris Verpakovskis (Latvia) 1999 - 2013 still active player

(13 years, 10 months, 25 days)Diego SIMEONE (Argentina) 14.07.1988 - 07.06.2002
(13 years, 7 months, 20 days) Jose Manuel MORENO (Argentina) 1936 - 1950
13 years Dejan Stanković (Serbia) 1998-2011
13 years Lubomir Moravcik Czechoslovakia/Slovakia 1987-2000

12 years Robert Jarni (Croatia) 1900-2002
12 years Marcelo Balboa (USA) 1988-2000
12 years Zlatko Zahovic Slovenia 1992-2004
12 years Viktor Onopko Russia 1992-2004
 
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#34 ·
Roller Milla is the winner :D :D :D

1970 in Leopards de Duala (CMR) at 1989 in Montpellier (FRA), Saint-Pierre de la Reunion (Reunión), Pelita Jaya (Indonesia)

African Footballer of the Year: 1976, 1990

19 YEARS

More world cup of 1990 and 1994

Total 24 years

Source FIFA.COM:
http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=79318/index.html


More some as D. Zoff
 
#35 ·
Dragan Stojkovic (Yugoslavia) - 1983-2001

does include those years though in the 90's when Yugoslavia was sanctioned
 
#36 ·
Dragan Dzajic's last game for the Yugoslav NT was a friendly against Argentina in Belgrade in 1979
 
#37 ·
From ancient times

Billy Meredith (1895-1920) - Wales - 25 years

Billy McCracken (1902-1919) - Ireland - 17 years

Ted Doig (1887-1903) - Scotland - 16 years
Gren Morris (1896-1912) - Wales - 16 years

Johan Studnicka (1902-1918) - Austria - 15 years
John Darling (1897-1912) - Ireland - 15 years
James McMenemy (1905-1920) - Scotland - 15 years
Jenö Karöly (1903-1918) - Hungary - 15 years
Lot Jones (1905-1920) - Wales - 15 years

Alex McNair (1906-1920) - Scotland - 14 years
Imre Schlosser (1906-1920) - Hungary - 14 years
Hugh Wilson (1890-1904) - Scotland - 14 years
Ferenc Weisz (1903-1917) - Hungary - 14 years

IFFHS record 1872-1920
 
#42 ·
How could I forget legendary Sami :worship:

Giggs retired only from Wales NT, but played for Great Britain on summer Olympics this year, which technically extended his international career. Maybe you see I also included players who represented more nations (Puskas, Kubala, Di Stefano)
 
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