The World Cup is the biggest stage in international football, and every edition, there’s a mix of old and young talents, ready to give their all for their respective countries.
Usually, the World Cup puts the limelight on players in their prime who use the World Cup to cement their place in football history.
However, throughout the history of the World Cup, some veterans defy age and prove that experience is just as important as youthful energy. To them, age isn’t a barrier to competing at the highest level.
Here are some of the oldest players to ever feature at the World Cup.
Dino Zoff (1982 World Cup): 40 years, 133 days
Dino Zoff doesn’t just feature on this list as one of the oldest players to feature at a World Cup, but as someone who has achieved something no one on this list can boast of.
Zoff arrived at the 1982 World Cup as one of the finest goalkeepers football has ever produced. With his talent and experience, he captained Italy to World Cup glory while pulling off fine stops against powerhouses like Brazil, Poland, and West Germany.
At the age of 40, he lifted the World Cup with Italy in Madrid and became the oldest player ever to win the FIFA World Cup. His record still stands today and is a remarkable example of longevity in football.
Luka Modric (2026 World Cup): 40 years, 275 days
Modric appearing at the World Cup at 40 years is another chapter of his illustrious career. As one of Croatia’s greatest players, Modric has led his country to the 2018 World Cup final and helped them secure a third-place finish in 2022.
Modric is a Real Madrid and Croatia legend who has cemented his place as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, having won multiple Champions League titles and a Ballon d’Or.
Despite being in his 40s, Modric has continued to dictate matches with his vision and passing range, which has characterized his game for the past two decades. The 2026 World Cup would be his last dance and the end of Croatia’s Golden Generation.
Peter Shilton (1990 World Cup): 40 years, 292 days
Peter Shilton joins this list following his appearance at the 1990 World Cup. Aged 40 years, Shilton represented England as a goalkeeper and played every minute of England’s journey, which ended in a third-place playoff loss. The third-place playoff was Shilton’s 125th and final appearance for England.
He spent most of his 31-year career playing in England and represented the national team at three World Cups. He also holds the record for most World Cup appearances for England (17) and most clean sheets in World Cup history (10).
Guillermo Ochoa (2026 World Cup): 40 years, 333 days
Ochoa is seen as one of those players who only turn up at the World Cup. Neutrals barely follow his club career, but once it’s a World Cup year, everyone is glued to see that legendary Mexican goalkeeper.
His performances at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups made him a fan favorite. In a group stage game vs Germany in 2018, he made nine saves to help Mexico to a 1-0 win over Germany, who were defending champions at the time.
In the 2018 World Cup, he made a total of 25 saves, which was the second-most saves throughout the tournament.
Ochoa has featured at five World Cups for Mexico, and the 2026 edition will be his sixth and final appearance.
Pat Jennings (1986 World Cup): 41 years, 0 days
Known as one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation, Pat Jennings played at the top level for more than two decades. He was nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 1973, 1975, and 1985.
At the 1986 World Cup, he made history by representing Northern Ireland at the age of 41, despite retiring from club football a year earlier.
Jennings built an impressive career by playing for Tottenham for 13 years before moving to their rivals Arsenal, where he spent the last 7 years of his career.
He was also famous for scoring from open play in the 1967 FA Charity Shield. From his own area, he punted the ball towards Manchester United goalkeeper Alex Stepney. The ball bounced over the Manchester United keeper and into the net.
Cristiano Ronaldo (2026 World Cup): 41 years, 126 days
There’s almost no list in football history that you won’t find Cristiano Ronaldo’s name on. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward is arguably the greatest player to grace the sport, while standing as an epitome of longevity.
Ronaldo’s career spans nearly 24 years. By the end of the 2026 World Cup, he would have played in six World Cups, sharing the record with Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa. He is the highest goalscorer in international football (143 goals) while scoring in five consecutive World Cups, the only player to do so.
Despite his accolades and impressive pedigree, Ronaldo has yet to lift the World Cup with Portugal. Although the Portuguese star seems bent on defying age by still competing at the highest levels, 2026 is his last chance to win the World Cup.
Roger Milla (1994 World Cup): 42 years, 39 days
Goalkeepers are famous for playing well into their late 30s and 40s, so seeing Roger Milla, a striker, steal the show in his late 30s shocked the World.
At 30, Roger Milla helped Cameroon qualify for the 1982 World Cup and win Cameroon’s first AFCON title in 1984. He also won back-to-back Golden Boots at the 1986 and 1988 AFCON tournaments. He was basically a national hero, and at the age of 36, he retired from the national team.
However, when Cameroon qualified for the 1990 World Cup, Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, called Milla out of retirement to join the team. Milla pulled up to the World Cup as a 38-year-old, scored four goals, all off the bench, and helped the team reach the quarterfinals (the farthest an African team had reached at the time).
He was famous for his corner celebrations and also as the second-oldest player at the tournament, after England’s Peter Shilton.
In 1994, Milla was the oldest player to feature at a World Cup tournament, aged 42 years and 39 days. He also scored in the group stage vs Russia to become the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, breaking his own record from 1990.
Faryd Mondragon (2014 World Cup): 43 years, 3 days
Before El Hadary in 2018, Mondragon held the record for the oldest player to feature at the World Cup. Three days after his 43rd birthday in 2014, Mondragon came on as a substitute in Colombia’s final group game vs Japan.
It was also his first World Cup appearance since 1998, and he set another record for the longest gap (16 years) between appearances at the World Cup. Colombia won the game 4-1 before eventually crashing out in the quarterfinals.
Craig Gordon (2026 World Cup) – 43 years, 162 days
Having been named in Scotland’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, Craig Gordon will be the oldest player at the tournament when it kicks off in North America. He is also the oldest player to feature for Scotland.
Gordon spent most of his time playing in Scotland, with his most appearances coming for Hearts and Celtic. He won a total of 14 trophies playing for both clubs. He also had a brief stint in England, moving to Sunderland for £9 million, which was the British transfer record for a goalkeeper in 2007.
Essam El Hadary (2018 World Cup): 45 years, 161 days
Egyptian goalkeeping legend Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature at the World Cup.
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, El Hadary played in Egypt’s final group game, where he officially became the oldest player to feature in a World Cup game.
He also set another record by saving Fahad Al Muwallad’s penalty in Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win over Egypt. That save made him the first African to save a penalty at the World Cup, and his gloves from that game are displayed in the FIFA Museum in Zurich.
Who wrote this?
Wisdom Aghe is a creative whose passions include sports, video editing, writing and a little bit of design. With these skills and a curious mind, Wisdom takes interest in creating sports content and holding interesting sports conversations. He loves sports and it's his happy place. He spends his leisure time playing football, playing games and reading.
