😯 Marcelo Moreno joins growing list of veteran strikers in South America

Marcelo Moreno wasn’t joking when he said last year that he was considering coming out of retirement with an eye on the World Cup with Bolivia.

After being announced last week, he will be officially presented this Saturday (14th) by Oriente Petrolero.

He will play without receiving a salary as a gesture of “gratitude” to the club that discovered him. And he will try to attract attention to play in the World Cup after two full years without playing.

This adds him to the list of veteran and star forwards who are attractions on other South American pitches—not counting those who are in Brazil.

See below for more about Marcelo Moreno’s situation and, afterwards, the list of the “endless ones.”

🇧🇴 still has the playoffs…

Marcelo Moreno hasn’t played since December 17, 2023, when he played his last match for Independiente del Valle.

The same year he said goodbye to the national team, for which he is the all-time top scorer.

📸 Ernesto Ryan – 2023 Getty Images

He even returned to Cruzeiro in 2024 for a farewell, but didn’t take the field.

His Bolivia got the better of Venezuela to secure seventh place in the South American Qualifiers.

Thus guaranteeing a spot in the intercontinental playoff.

The first mission will be to get past Suriname on March 26 at the BBVA Stadium in Mexico.

The winning team will try to enter Group I of the World Cup, the same as France, Norway, and Senegal, by facing Iraq on April 1.

La Verde hasn’t played in a World Cup since the 1994 edition in the United States. They also participated in Brazil in 1950.

The endless ones 👇🏽

🇦🇷 Di María (Rosario Central) – 37 years old

He is one of several on the list who returned to their boyhood club. A legend of Argentine football, Di María was a star at Benfica and PSG, and had a good spell at Real. He returned to Los Canallas last year and lifted the “League Champion” trophy.

🇦🇷 Vegetti (Cerro Porteño) – 37 years old

The “younger” Pirate made his mark at Vasco. He left the Cruz-Maltino seeking a bigger contract and as the top scorer in Brazilian football in 2025.

🇦🇷 Cavani (Boca Juniors) – 38 years old

After becoming a legend at Napoli and PSG, Cavani also played for United and Valencia before arriving at Boca in 2023. He stood out the following season, but didn’t have the best 2025.

🇧🇴 Marcelo Moreno (Oriente Petrolero) – 38 years old

The “Arrowman” turned professional at Petrolero. He had a good spell at Vitória, became an idol at Cruzeiro, and also played for Grêmio and Flamengo in Brazilian football.

🇨🇴 Falcao García (Millonarios) – 40 years old

After great spells at Porto, Atlético de Madrid, and Monaco, Falcao García didn’t repeat his performances at subsequent clubs. He only had good numbers at Galatasaray.

He returned to his first youth club in 2024. And he’s still there.

🇨🇴 Hugo Rodallega (Santa Fe) – 40 years old

Having played for Wigan and Fulham, Rodallega performed well with Bahia between 2021 and 2022. He became an idol at Independiente Santa Fe, even scoring the title-winning goal in Colombia.

🇨🇴 Teo Gutierrez (Junior Barranquilla) – 40 years old

He’s already on his fourth stint at the club that discovered him. He had good seasons with River and Sporting outside Colombia.

🇦🇷 Barcos (Cajamarca) – 41 years old

The “first” Pirate to play in Brazilian football—he played for Palmeiras, Grêmio, and Cruzeiro—defended Alianza Lima alongside Guerrero before embarking on a new adventure in Peruvian football.

🇵🇪 Guerrero (Alianza Lima) – 42 years old

The top scorer in the history of the Peruvian national team turned professional at Bayern, but had come through the youth ranks at Alianza Lima. He returned to his boyhood club in 2024.

He also had important spells at Hamburg, Corinthians, Flamengo, and Internacional. He also played (without scoring) for Avaí in Brazil.