Who is the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history?
The FIFA World Cup is a tournament famed for older players creating memorable moments by scoring notable goals.
Currently however, only one player over the age of 40 has netted in a 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 |
39y 283d | Pepe | Portugal | Portugal 6-1 Switzerland | 06/12/2022 |
37y 292d | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Portugal 3-2 Ghana | 24/11/2022 |
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 120d | Felipe Baloy | Panama | England 6-1 Panama | 24/06/2018 |
36y 279d | Obdulio Varela | Uruguay | Uruguay 4-2 England | 26/06/1954 |
36y 227d | Martin Palermo | Argentina | Greece 0-2 Argentina | 22/06/2010 |
36y 152d | Georges Bregy | Switzerland | United States 1-1 Switzerland | 18/06/1994 |
36y 71d | Olivier Giroud | France | England 1-2 France | 10/12/2022 |
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 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 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, making it five different World Cups in which he has found the net. With 'CR7' set to appear at the World Cup in 2026 at 41 years old, it would be no surprise if that tournament doesn't end with Ronaldo being the second oldest goalscorer in men's World Cup history.
