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Experience can be a vital attribute for teams to possess at the World Cup and an elder statesman can have a settling, and sometimes inspirational influence on younger teammates struggling to cope with the pressure-cooker environment of a major international tournament.
A selection of wily veterans have achieved World Cup immortality over the years due to their incredible longevity, proving again, that age is just a number for those determined and dedicated enough to stretch their careers beyond the norm.
In this special feature, we take a look at the oldest players ever to play at a World Cup, while also highlighting some of the middle-aged superstars that will impact World Cup 2026 betting odds this summer.
The Record Holder: Essam El Hadary
Topping the list is the grandaddy of them all, Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who appeared at the ripe age of 45 years and 161 days old during his country’s final group game fixture at the 2018 World Cup against Saudi Arabia.
Egypt had already lost their first two group matches that year and back-up stopper El Hadary was chosen to start their final game to become the oldest-ever World Cup debutant.
The veteran saved a first-half penalty on his bow, though Egypt eventually lost the game 2-1. The evergreen El Hadary started his international journey in 1996, predating many of his teammates’ birth and collected 159 caps for the Pharaohs over the course of his career.
Faryd Mondragón: Colombia’s Finest
In second place sits another goalkeeper (you can already see a pattern here), Colombia’s Faryd Mondragón, who was 43 years and 3 days old when he was introduced as a late substitute against Japan at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
A strong Colombian outfit had already secured qualification from Group C that year thanks to early wins over Greece (3-0) and Ivory Coast (2-1), giving head coach José Pékerman the chance to start Mondragón, allowing the veteran to enjoy a fitting farewell.
He was subbed off late on in Colombia’s 3-1 triumph over Japan and left the pitch against an emotional backdrop of rapturous applause.
Mondragón had featured in all three of Colombia’s 1998 group games, creating a record 15-year, 363-day gap between appearances.
After Colombia’s quarter-final exit in 2014, he retired, ending an association with the national team that began with his debut all the way back in 1993.
Roger Milla: The Dancing Icon
Legendary former Cameroon forward Roger Milla slides into third place. He was 42 years and 39 days old during the group stage of the 1994 World Cup, making him the oldest-ever outfield player to feature.
Milla broke another record in those finals too when he scored a consolation effort in Cameroon’s 6-1 group game loss to Russia, a strike that made him the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, a record that still stands today.
Remarkably, Milla came out of retirement to play in ’94 at the request of the country’s president at the time, Paul Biya.
The accomplished attacker made his first real splash in 1990, when he helped Cameroon to reach the World Cup quarter-finals as the first African side to do.
His trademark corner-flag celebrations were imitated worldwide by youngsters and his charisma and penchant for entertainment made him a much-loved World Cup figure.
More Goalkeeping Greats That Make the List
Unsurprisingly, goalkeepers, who have traditionally enjoyed much greater longevity than their outfield counterparts, dominate the list of the World Cup’s oldest ever players.
A household name in Northern Ireland and beyond, Pat Jennings played on his 41st birthday against Brazil at the 1986 World Cup, becoming the oldest player at the time.
Peter Shilton, England’s record cap holder with 125 appearances, featured at 40 years and 292 days in the 1990 third-place play-off against Italy. He kept an impressive 10 clean sheets across three tournaments, though it probably more famous for being beaten by Maradona’s “Hand of God” in 1986.
Italian keeper Dino Zoff captained the Azzurri to World Cup-winning glory in 1982 at the age of 40 years and 133 days, making him the tournament’s oldest-ever champion.
Ali Boumnijel was between the sticks for Tunisia at the age of 40 years and 71 days in 2006, while Scotland’s Jim Leighton was pushing 40 at the 1998 edition of the competition in France. Indeed, Leighton was the last player born in the 1950s to play at a World Cup.
England’s David James meanwhile, had the honour of being the oldest player in any squad at World Cup 2010 in South Africa and when he started against Algeria, he became the oldest ever World Cup debutant at 39 years and 321 days old, before Essam El Hadary took that title off him eight years later.
Who Will be the Oldest Player at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, there are some standout veterans who still have more than enough quality to make telling contributions this summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be 41 years old at World Cup ’26, is likely to feature at the tournament for the sixth and final time for his beloved Portugal.
Only a handful of players have featured at five editions, including Lothar Matthaus, Antonio Carbajal, Rafa Marquez, Gianluigi Buffon, Andres Guardado, Guillermo Ochoa and Lionel Messi.
However, Ronaldo and his long-time nemesis Messi will step up onto a unique pedestal this year when they appear at the World Cup for a record-breaking sixth time. Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, who will turn 41 in July, will match that achievement too.
Ronaldo is the only player ever to score at five different World Cups, however, and if he scores twice in 2026, he will surpass Eusebio’s record (9 goals) as Portugal’s leading marksman at the tournament.
Top UK bookmakers for World Cup have even listed Ronaldo as one of the contenders to win the Golden Boot this summer after the Al-Nassr star topped the charts for his country during qualification with five goals.
Another one of football’s most durable stalwarts, Luka Modric, will be 40 during the 2026 festival of football stateside. The cultured midfielder will participate in his fifth World Cup having represented Croatia with distinction in 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
List of Oldest Players Ever to Play at a World Cup: Top 10
Below, we’ve listed the World Cup’s oldest-ever players, starting with record-breaking Egyptian, Essam El Hadary.
- Essam El Hadary (Egypt) – 45 years, 161 days – vs Saudi Arabia (25 June 2018)
- Faryd Mondragón (Colombia) – 43 years, 3 days – vs Japan (24 June 2014)
- Roger Milla (Cameroon) – 42 years, 39 days – vs Russia (28 June 1994)
- Pat Jennings (Northern Ireland) – 41 years, 0 days – vs Brazil (12 June 1986)
- Peter Shilton (England) – 40 years, 292 days – vs Italy (7 July 1990)
- Dino Zoff (Italy) – 40 years, 133 days – vs Germany (11 July 1982)
- Ali Boumnijel (Tunisia) – 40 years, 71 days (approx.) – vs Ukraine (23 June 2006)
- Jim Leighton (Scotland) – 39 years, 334 days (approx.) – vs Morocco (23 June 1998)
- David James (England) – 39 years, 330 days (approx.) – vs Germany (27 June 2010)
- Atiba Hutchinson (Canada) – 39 years, 296 days – vs Morocco (1 December 2022)
