Who is the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history?
by Alex Sarwar ·
Updated
The FIFA World Cup is a tournament famed for older players creating memorable moments by scoring notable goals.
Currently however, only two players over the age of 40 have netted in a FIFA World Cup match.
These are the ten oldest players to have scored in the men's FIFA World Cup:
AGE | PLAYER | NATION | MATCH | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
42y 39d | Roger Milla | Cameroon | Russia 6-1 Cameroon | 28/06/1994 |
41y 147d | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Portugal 2-1 Croatia | 02/07/2026 |
39y 283d | Pepe | Portugal | Portugal 6-1 Switzerland | 06/12/2022 |
39y 13d | Lionel Messi | Argentina | Argentina 3-2 Egypt | 07/07/2026 |
37y 236d | Gunnar Gren | Sweden | Sweden 3-1 West Germany | 24/06/1958 |
37y 151d | Cuauhtemoc Blanco | Mexico | France 0-2 Mexico | 17/06/2010 |
37y 150d | Ivan Perisic | Croatia | Portugal 2-1 Croatia | 02/07/2026 |
37y 120d | Felipe Baloy | Panama | England 6-1 Panama | 24/06/2018 |
37y 69d | Marko Arnautovic | Austria | Algeria 3-3 Austria | 27/06/2026 |
36y 279d | Obdulio Varela | Uruguay | Uruguay 4-2 England | 26/06/1954 |
One name stands out from the rest at the top of the list, that being former Cameroon star Roger Milla. The final goal he scored for his country at the age of 42 years and 39 days in the 1994 FIFA World Cup makes him the oldest ever FWC goalscorer.
Two very different footballers and long-time international teammates trail behind Milla. Retired centre-back Pepe netted his last FIFA World Cup goal for Portugal as a 39-year-old against Switzerland in 2022.
Fellow Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the same tournament at the age of 37, but since then he has surpassed his former international teammate, becoming the second oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history after scoring at 41 years of age during FIFA World Cup 2026.
