When Argentina’s takes the pitch at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he will be 42 years old.
His career longevity, the role of a goalkeeper notwithstanding, is phenomenal. Having made his international debut in 2001, Vivaldi has been a crucial factor in Argentina’s rise to eminence in the last seven years or so.
Referred to as the Argentine Wall, Vivaldi’s assuring presence in goal enabled Los Leones grab a bronze in the 2014 World Cup in The Hague – the South American nation’s first ever medal at global level.
Then, two years later, Argentina reached the pinnacle with a gold medal triumph at the Rio Olympics and images of Vivaldi standing firm in goal to whatever Belgium threw at them in the closing pulsating minutes is rife in the memory.
Vivaldi, who has collected more than 270 international caps, has been to two other Olympics – 2004 Athens and 2012 London – and is now poised for his fourth Games. Argentina failed to qualify for Beijing 2008. Had they done so, Vivaldi would be travelling to a mind-boggling fifth Olympics, all other things remaining equal.
Playing for Banco Provincia in his home country, he also possesses three Pan American Games and two Pan American Cup gold medals.