By Rob Stevens BBC Sport Africa Published 24 June 2026 Updated 13 July 2026 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been breaking records at the 2026 World Cup, but neither are the oldest goalscorer in the tournament's long history
Cristiano Ronaldo may have scored at a record sixth Fifa World Cup, but there is one piece of history which still eludes both him and Lionel Messi, who celebrated his 39th birthday during the tournament.
When Ronaldo broke the deadlock against Uzbekistan in Portugal's second group match, he became the second-oldest scorer in the history of the tournament, finding the back of the net at the ripe old age of 41 years and 138 days.
But the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man still sits behind Cameroon great Roger Milla on the all-time list.
Milla first featured at the 1982 finals in Spain but found global fame, aged 38, with four goals as the Indomitable Lions reached the quarter-finals at Italia 90 - the first African team to make it that far - marking his efforts with a dance by the corner flag, which became his trademark.
Four years later, Milla was back on the scoresheet at USA 94, slotting in from eight yards against Russia. The corner flag wiggle was back again, but Cameroon lost the game 6-1 and went out at the group stage.
However, Ronaldo will no doubt take some pride in the fact he bumped Messi down from third to fourth on the list after the Argentina forward had netted aged 38 years and 363 days in his side's win over Austria on 22 June.
Both players have since improved their personal records, with Ronaldo converting a penalty in Portugal's last 32 win over Croatia before their quarter-final exit at the hands of Spain.
Messi, meanwhile, has eight goals in total at these finals after going on to score against Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt.
Croatia forward Ivan Perisic and Austria's Marko Arnautovic, both 37, also entered the top 10 at this tournament.
Perisic's strike against Portugal on 3 July put him seventh on the all-time list, putting Arnautovic down to ninth after his effort against Algeria in his nation's final group outing.
But Milla's record looks set to stand for some time unless, that is, Ronaldo or Messi fancy the idea of playing on home soil when the 2030 World Cup hosts games in both Portugal and Argentina.
Contact form Contact form The top 10 oldest goalscorers in World Cup history Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Roger Milla played for Cameroon between 1973 and 1994
1. Roger Milla - Cameroon vs Russia (28 June 1994) - 42 years, 39 days
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal vs Croatia (3 July 2026) - 41 years, 147 days
3. Pepe - Portugal vs Switzerland (6 December 2022) - 39 years, 283 days
4. Lionel Messi - Argentina vs Egypt (7 July 2026) - 39 years, 13 days
5. Gunnar Gren - Sweden v Germany (24 June 1958) - 37 years, 236 days
6. Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Mexico v France (17 June 2010) - 37 years, 151 days
7. Ivan Perisic - Croatia v Portugal (3 July 2026) - 37 years, 150 days
8. Felipe Baloy - Panama vs England (24 June 2018) - 37 years, 120 days
9. Marko Arnautovic - Austria v Algeria (28 June 2026) - 37 years, 69 days
10. Obdulio Varela - Uruguay vs England (26 June 1954) - 36 years, 279 days
This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.
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Sources: BBC Sport
