Across the previous 22 editions of the FIFA World Cup™, from 1930 to 2022, only seven players in their 40s had ever featured in the competition. Italy goalkeeper Dino Zoff was the first, at Spain 1982, while Mexico’s Alfredo Talavera became the most recent at Qatar 2022.
That tally is now set to more than double in one edition alone, with eight players aged 40 or over poised to play a part in the .
Nobody will surpass Essam El Hadary this time, with the Egypt goalkeeper still the oldest player in World Cup history after turning out for the Pharaohs at Russia 2018 aged 45 years and five months. Still, no World Cup has ever showcased footballing longevity quite like this one promises to do.
FIFA takes a look at the seven players heading to North America in their 40s – and one celebrating his 40th birthday during the course of the tournament – who stand ready to prove to the world that age is just a number.
Having made his professional club debut before the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, Gordon will be the oldest player at this year’s tournament and the second oldest in World Cup history. Born on 31 December 1982, the Scotland goalkeeper will be 43 years and five months old when the tournament gets under way. Gordon has given more than 22 years of service to Scotland, spent five seasons in England with Sunderland and came agonisingly close to winning the Scottish Premiership with Hearts this season. This will be his first World Cup, with Scotland back on the global stage for the first time since France 1998.
Born on 5 February 1985, Ronaldo will be the oldest outfield player at World Cup 2026. Two decades on from his first World Cup, Ronaldo is still chasing one of the few achievements missing from his extraordinary career: lifting the beautiful game’s ultimate prize with Portugal. A title-winning triumph for the Seleção das Quinas would make him the oldest World Cup winner in history, eclipsing Zoff, who lifted the trophy with Italy aged 40. The tournament in North America also provides Ronaldo with the chance to move closer to another extraordinary landmark: 1,000 official senior goals.
A first-ever semi-final appearance for Mexico would see Ochoa finish the tournament aged 41. Ochoa’s World Cup journey began with a call-up for Germany 2006, and he is now set to join Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in an exclusive group of players to have been selected for six editions of the tournament. AEL Limassol’s veteran shot-stopper had appeared to be out of El Tri’s World Cup plans this time around, but a serious injury to Luis Malagon paved the way for his return after almost a year away.
Modric has been at the heart of Croatia’s finest World Cup moments, helping them to a runners-up finish in 2018 and third place in 2022. The linchpin of the Vatreni’s golden generation, Modric left Real Madrid at the start of the season before completing his World Cup preparations with AC Milan. Now 40 years and nine months old, he will return to the stage where he has written some of the greatest chapters of his illustrious career.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s record appearance-maker and all-time leading scorer turned 40 in March – and celebrated by helping his country qualify for the global finals, as the Balkan outfit stunned four-time winners Italy in the UEFA play-off final. Dzeko and the Dragons are preparing for their return to football’s biggest stage, 12 years after their only previous appearance. The centre-forward arrives in fine form, having helped German giants Schalke return to the Bundesliga after spending four of the last five seasons outside the top flight.
Uruguay’s first-choice keeper at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 instalments of the World Cup and back-up stopper at Qatar 2022, Muslera only returned to the national-team set-up during this year’s March international window having previously been left out of the equation by Marcelo Bielsa since he took the reins in May 2023. Now playing for Estudiantes back in his homeland after 18 years in Europe, Muslera offers a safe pair of hands for the South American heavyweights. And he will no doubt receive tributes aplenty from his team-mates when he turns 40 on 16 June, the day after La Celeste’s curtain-raiser against Saudi Arabia.
One of the defining goalkeepers of his generation, Neuer initially called time on his Germany career after UEFA EURO 2024. He later had a change of heart, however, and his return proved the headline story in for World Cup 2026, which will be his fifth edition. The last remaining active member of Germany’s World Cup-winning squad from Brazil 2014, Bayern Munich’s No1 will contest this year’s tournament aged 40 years and two months.
Vozinha was still 39 when Cabo Verde sealed their first-ever World Cup qualification, but the Chaves goalkeeper turned 40 on 3 June while preparing for this year’s global showpiece with his team-mates. The Blue Sharks mean business – Vozinha kept a clean sheet as they swept the Serbs aside 3-0 in a warm-up fixture. He also ranks second on Cabo Verde’s all-time appearance list, having earned 88 caps since his debut in 2012.
Sources: FIFA Official
