Manchester City and Inter Milan are preparing for one of the biggest games in their club's histories as they meet in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.
Pep Guardiola is looking to lead the Citizens to their first ever Champions League trophy, while Inter have not won the competition since 2010 when Jose Mourinho guided them to victory.
Man City goalkeeper Scott Carson could not only achieve a second Champions League winners' medal – having been part of the Liverpool 2005 squad – but he may become one of the oldest players to win the tournament.
The Sporting News looks at the oldest players to win the Champions League.
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Oldest players to win Champions League
If Man City do beat Inter in the Champions League final, Carson will become the second oldest player to have ever won the competition at 37 years and 277 days old*. The record is currently held by Italian legend Paolo Maldini, who won the 2007 edition with AC Milan against Liverpool.
Inter duo Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi also make the top five after beating Bayern Munich in the 2010 final. It would certainly take something special for Maldini's record to be broken.
Maldini is also the oldest goalscorer in a Champions League final. He scored in the 2005 final, also against Liverpool, but Milan ended up losing that match in stunning fashion as they surrendered a three-goal lead.
Here's a table of the oldest Champions League winners since the competition started in 1992:
*Age on the day of the 2023 Champions League final
| Player | Age | Team | Year Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Maldini | 38 years 331 days | Milan | 2007 |
| Pietro Vierchowod | 37 years 46 days | Juventus | 1996 |
| Alessandro Costacurta | 37 years 34 days | Milan | 2003 |
| Javier Zanetti | 36 years 285 days | Inter | 2010 |
| Marco Materazzi | 36 years 276 days | Inter | 2010 |
Will Scott Carson get a winners medal?
Carson was a part of the Liverpool squad in 2005 that beat Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul. He made the bench after goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was injured.
Although he received a medal on that day, he did reveal that he tried to give it to his fellow goalkeeper, which Kirkland kindly rejected. Carson did not feel comfortable with a medal as he did not play many minutes in the competition.
Man City will be given 40 medals to share between them if they do manage to win this year's final. However Carson may choose to reject the medal as he is now the third goalkeeper in the side, behind Ederson and Stefan Ortega, and has not played a single minute in the competition.
When is the 2023 Champions League final?
The 2023 UEFA Champions League final will be held on Saturday, June 10, at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
The kickoff will be 8 p.m. BST in the UK, 3 p.m. ET in the USA and Canada, and 5 a.m. AEST in Australia (the following day).
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| Country | Date | Projected Time |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Sun, June 11 | 5 a.m. AEST |
| Canada | Sat, June 10 | 3 p.m. EDT |
| Hong Kong | Sun, June 11 | 3 a.m. HKT |
| India | Sun, June 11 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
| Malaysia | Sun, June 11 | 3 a.m. MYT |
| New Zealand | Sun, June 11 | 7 a.m. NZST |
| Singapore | Sun, June 11 | 3 a.m. SST |
| UK | Sat, June 10 | 8 p.m. BST |
| USA | Sat, June 10 | 3 p.m. ET |