Who are the oldest players in World Cup history? Discover which players are the oldest to feature at the tournament, and who the oldest winners are!
Providing one of the biggest platforms in world football, the World Cup is a special stage for anyone to play on. But, if an older player features ahead of younger players of the same nationality, it demonstrates unique longevity and the peak of physical fitness.
So, who are the oldest players to play in the World Cup?
This blog will go through the oldest players to feature at the World Cup, England’s oldest players at the tournament, and the oldest players to have lifted the trophy as well!
Who is the oldest player to play in the World Cup?
The oldest player to play at the World Cup is former goalkeeper Essam El Hadary for Egypt. He played in the 2018 tournament held in Russia at 45 years and 161 days old!
El Hadary started Egypt’s match against Saudi Arabia and was frequently called into action throughout the game, even saving a first-half penalty! During the game, as well as becoming the oldest player to feature at the tournament, he accrued a few additional accolades, such as becoming the first African goalkeeper to save a penalty at the World Cup and the oldest World Cup debutant.
The 10 oldest World Cup players in history
Now that you know who the oldest player to have played at the World Cup is, let’s see who makes up the rest of the top ten spots:
Rank | Player | Nationality | Age at World Cup | World Cup edition |
1 | Essam El Hadary | Egypt | 45 years 161 days | Russia 2018 |
2 | Faryd Mondragon | Colombia | 43 years 3 days | Brazil 2014 |
3 | Roger Milla | Cameroon | 42 years 39 days | USA 1994 |
4 | Pat Jennings | Northern Ireland | 41 years | Mexico 1986 |
5 | Peter Shilton | England | 40 years 292 days | Italy 1990 |
6 | Dino Zoff | Italy | 40 years 133 days | Spain 1982 |
7 | Ali Boumnijel | Tunisia | 40 years 71 days | Germany 2006 |
8 | Jim Leighton | Scotland | 39 years 334 days | France 1998 |
9 | David James | England | 39 years 330 days | South Africa 2010 |
10 | Angel Labruna | East Germany | 39 years 260 days | Sweden 1958 |
Though no players heading into the 2026 World Cup are likely to take the top spot, there are certainly some candidates who could add their names to this list.
Players like Cristiano Ronaldo (41) and Luka Modric (40) will make it into the top ten if they feature at the tournament in any capacity considering that they’re both over 40.
Additionally, should Guillermo Ochoa be selected to start for Mexico, the goalkeeper would add his name to the list too. Currently 40 years old, the Mexican shot-stopper would be between 40 years and 334 days and 40 years and 347 days old if he featured in any of the group games. Should the co-hosts go further into the tournament and reach the semi-finals, Ochoa would be 41 years old and potentially place himself fourth on the all-time list.
The oldest England players in World Cup history
So, we’ve now covered the oldest players of any nation to feature, but what about England’s oldest players at the tournament? With some already making it into the top ten overall players, here are the oldest England players in World Cup history.
Rank | Player | Age at World Cup | World Cup edition |
1 | Peter Shilton | 40 years 292 days | Italy 1990 |
2 | David James | 39 years 330 days | South Africa 2010 |
3 | Sir Stanley Matthews | 39 years 155 days | Switzerland 1954 |
4 | David Seaman | 38 years 285 days | South Korea/Japan 2002 |
5 | Teddy Sheringham | 36 years 89 days | South Korea/Japan 2002 |
6 | Sir Tom Finney | 36 years 73 days | Sweden 1958 |
7 | Frank Lampard | 36 years 4 days | Brazil 2014 |
Though players like Sir Stanley Matthews and Alexander Morton both played for England at older ages than Peter Shilton was at the 1990 tournament, they didn’t play at the World Cup.
Sir Stanley Matthews played for England in a World Cup qualification game in 1957 aged 42 years, 114 days. Then Alexander Morton played in a friendly match against Scotland in 1873, whilst aged 41 years, 124 days old.
Who are the oldest players to win the World Cup?
Being one of the oldest players to win the World Cup is special, as it demonstrates longevity and is a special achievement towards the end of a player’s career. So, below is a list of players who won the World Cup at the oldest ages.
Rank | Player | Nationality | Age at World Cup final | World Cup edition |
1 | Dino Zoff | Italy | 40 years 133 days | Spain 1982 |
2 | Nilton Santos | Brazil | 37 years 32 days | Chile 1962 |
3 | Angelo Peruzzi | Italy | 36 years 143 days | Germany 2006 |
4 | Franco Armani | Argentina | 36 years 63 days | Qatar 2022 |
5 | Miroslav Klose | Germany | 36 years 34 days | Brazil 2014 |
6 | Gilmar Rinaldi | Brazil | 35 years 185 days | USA 1994 |
7 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 35 years 177 days | Qatar 2022 |
8 | Toni Turek | West Germany | 35 years 167 days | Switzerland 1954 |
9 | Bernard Lama | France | 35 years 96 days | France 1998 |
10 | Nicolas Otamendi | Argentina | 34 years 309 days | Qatar 2022 |
This list contains some real star players, with the majority contributing heavily to their team’s success.
Whether it was Lionel Messi scoring seven goals across the 2022 campaign, or Italian shot-stopper Dino Zoff making many crucial saves at the 1982 tournament, they all had their impact.
Messi and Nicolas Otamendi are the only players still active on this list, meaning if they triumph again in 2026, they could place their names even higher in the rankings!
Which players might make their final World Cup appearances in 2026?
When discussing the oldest players at the World Cup, it’s worth having a look at which active players will be attending their last tournament in 2026. There are some huge names and legends of the sport that will likely not be playing at another World Cup, meaning we’ll only get to see them on this global stage one last time.
Firstly, is the current World Cup holder and legend Lionel Messi, who’ll be 39 come the end of the tournament, with his birthday occurring in late June. He’ll surely be looking to add one last World Cup success to his trophy haul to go out with a bang!
Portugal’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is now 41 and will also be playing in his final World Cup tournament. The World Cup is one of the few trophies that he hasn’t added to his cabinet, so it would be a real fairytale ending if Portugal can get over the line in the summer.
Croatia’s midfield maestro Luka Modric will be pulling the strings one final time as he’s now 40 years old. After reaching a World Cup final in 2018 and a semi-final in 2022, can he go one step further in 2026 and win his nation a first World Cup?
Neymar Jr. may have already attended his last World Cup in 2022 as he’s currently excluded from Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. But should he find fitness and form ahead of the summer, the 34-year-old may just be able to have one last dance at the competition.
Frenchman Antoine Griezmann has already enjoyed World Cup success in 2018 but will be 35 come the summer. After losing the final to Argentina in 2022, he’ll understandably want to change his last memory of the tournament, and the 2026 World Cup provides the perfect final opportunity.
Then England’s star striker Harry Kane is also perhaps unlikely to attend another World Cup after 2026 because he’s now 32 years old. As he’s fit and firing at Bayern Munich, though, he looks like he’s in fine form to spearhead England’s charge to end their trophy drought.
How to bet on the World Cup
One of the most exciting prospects for bettors around the globe is World Cup betting. With the best national football teams in the world competing against each other to obtain the greatest prize in international football, it’s hard to not enjoy such a spectacle.
At Betway, you can discover a large range of markets like top goalscorer, tournament winner, and in-play betting. Plus, when the tournament gets closer, more markets will become available, so there’s a lot to be excited about!
Head over to our football odds or use our mobile app through the App Store or Play Store to start your World Cup betting journey now!
