Across the sporting world, players have repeatedly tried to bend time to their will.
Tom Brady won a Super Bowl six months short of his 44th birthday, while James Anderson has continued to take wickets with metronomic accuracy long after turning 40.
Lionel Messi was relatively wet behind the ears as he inspired Argentina to World Cup glory at the age of 35.
Ultimately, Father Time remains undefeated even against the very best, no matter how strict their diets and how obsessive their fitness routines.
Cristiano Ronaldo was offered a brutal insight into the life of an ageing athlete this week, when he missed Al-Nassr's Asian Champions League tie against Al-Duhail on Tuesday because of fatigue.