Gordon leads field of veterans at 2026 World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo matches Lionel Messi’s record for appearances as age disparity widens between oldest and youngest players.
Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has been identified as the oldest participant in the 2026 World Cup, competing at the age of 43. The tournament, currently underway across North America, features a significant generational divide, with Gordon standing more than a quarter-century older than the youngest player in the field, 17-year-old Mexican midfielder Gilberto Mora.
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo ranks as the second-oldest player in the tournament at 41. He is set to make his sixth World Cup appearance, a feat that matches the record previously held solely by Argentina’s Lionel Messi. As of 24 June, Messi is recorded as being 39 years old.
The field of veteran players extends beyond the top two, with several established international stars aged 40 or older. Alongside Gordon and Ronaldo, the group includes Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, Croatia’s Luka Modrić, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Edin Džeko, and Germany’s Manuel Neuer.
Other notable players in the 39-to-40 age bracket include Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera, Japan’s Yūto Nagatomo, Ecuador’s Hernán Galíndez, and Egypt’s El Mahdy Soliman. Their presence underscores the longevity of elite international footballers in this edition of the competition.
The 2026 tournament marks a continuation of the World Cup’s long history, which began in 1930 with Uruguay defeating Argentina. The event has faced interruptions, notably the hiatus caused by the Second World War between 1938 and 1950, but continues to draw participants from across the globe, with matches staged in cities ranging from Atlanta to Mexico City.
