The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature a record number of players aged 40 or older, highlighting how elite footballers continue to extend their careers through fitness, nutrition and sports science.
Eight players aged 40 and above will compete in the tournament across Canada, Mexico and the United States. That total exceeds the combined number from the previous 22 World Cups.
The list includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Edin Dzeko, Manuel Neuer and Guillermo Ochoa. Their presence challenges the idea that top-level football belongs only to younger players.
Portugal captain Ronaldo, now 41, will make history as the first player to appear in six FIFA World Cups. Mexico goalkeeper Ochoa, 40, will also reach that milestone.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who turns 39 later this month, remains one of football’s most influential figures. He led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and now aims to add another chapter to his remarkable career.
Veteran Stars Chasing More History
Ronaldo arrives with a record few players can match. He has scored in each of the five World Cups he has played.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez believes experience remains Ronaldo’s greatest asset.
“None have lived what he has in the number of decisive games he’s played over his career,” Martinez said.
“He also brings experience in decisive moments that nobody else in the squad can match.”
Croatia’s Modric and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Dzeko also have an opportunity to make history. Both players could join a very exclusive group of over-40 World Cup goalscorers.
Only Cameroon’s Roger Milla has achieved that feat. He scored at the age of 42 during the 1994 World Cup in the United States and remains the oldest scorer in tournament history.
More than three decades later, his record still stands.
Goalkeepers Continue to Defy Age
Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be the oldest player at the tournament. At 43, he could become the second-oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup match.
Only Egypt’s Essam El Hadary ranks ahead of him. The Egyptian goalkeeper played at 45 during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Gordon is likely to serve as backup to Angus Gunn. However, even a single appearance would secure his place in the record books.
Germany’s Manuel Neuer, who helped his country win the 2014 World Cup, hopes to recover from a calf injury before Germany’s opening match against Curaçao.
Cape Verde’s Vozinha and Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera, who turns 40 during the tournament, complete the group of veteran players.
Recent injuries have affected both Messi and Ronaldo. Even so, neither player’s legacy faces any threat. Their achievements already rank among the greatest in football history.
The 2026 World Cup now offers one more opportunity for football’s elder statesmen to prove they can still perform on the sport’s biggest stage.
