By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-07-18 17:28:13 | Updated at 2026-08-02 12:33:49
3 weeks ago
Who are the oldest FIFA World Cup scorers? We look back at the 10 oldest men to score a goal at the tournament, plus some other age-related goal records.
Top 10 Oldest Goalscorers in World Cup History
- Roger Milla (42 years, 39 days) – Cameroon vs Russia, 28 June 1994
- Cristiano Ronaldo (41 years, 147 days) – Portugal vs Croatia, 2 July 2026
- Pepe (39 years, 283 days) – Portugal vs Switzerland, 6 December 2022
- Lionel Messi (39 years, 13 days) – Argentina vs Egypt, 7 July 2026
- Gunnar Gren (37 years, 236 days) – Sweden vs West Germany, 24 June 1958
- Cuauhtémoc Blanco (37 years, 151 days) – Mexico vs France, 17 June 2010
- Ivan Perisic (37 years, 150 days) – Croatia vs Portugal, 2 July 2026
- Felipe Baloy (37 years, 120 days) – Panama vs England, 24 June 2018
- Marko Arnautovic (37 years, 69 days) – Austria vs Algeria, 27 June 2026
- Obdulio Varela (36 years, 279 days) – Uruguay vs England, 26 June 1954
1. Roger Milla (42 years, 39 days)
Cameroon vs Russia – 28 June 1994
Roger Milla became the oldest player to score a men’s World Cup goal in June 1994, when his Cameroon side faced Russia in the United States. Unfortunately for Milla and Cameroon, they lost the match 6-1, but the striker extended his own record when he scored the consolation goal.
Milla’s two goals for Cameroon against Colombia at Italia 90 meant he was already the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history, at 38 years and 34 days, but he fancied adding another four years to that record just to make it safe.
Milla was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored as a substitute against Russia in 1994.
The Cameroon striker never played another World Cup game, and is the third-oldest player to play in the competition behind Egypt’s Essam El-Hadary and Colombia’s Faryd Mondragón.
Milla’s age-related record was overshadowed on the day, though, with Russia’s Oleg Salenko scoring five goals in their 6-1 win; he remains the only player to score in a single World Cup match.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (41 years, 147 days)
Portugal vs Croatia – 2 July 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo had struggled for goals for Portugal going into the 2026 World Cup, failing to find the net in his previous nine games at major tournaments (World Cup/Euros).
He also looked well off the pace in their opener against DR Congo, and voices were growing louder that he should be dropped.
However, Ronaldo is nothing if not stubborn, and he did find the net, twice, in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in their second game.
It made him only the second man over the age of 40 to score at a World Cup, and the oldest to net a brace.
It also meant Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cups.
Aged 41 years and 147 days, he then found the net from the penalty spot in the last 32 against Croatia, at last giving him his first goal in the World Cup knockout stages.
3. Pepe (39 years, 283 days)
Portugal vs Switzerland – 6 December 2022
Incredibly, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar wasn’t Pepe’s final international tournament as he went on play at Euro 2024 as well.
But it was in Qatar that he scored the last goal of his international career, helping Portugal to a 6-1 demolition of Switzerland in the round of 16. It was Gonçalo Ramos’ day, as the striker came in for the dropped Cristiano Ronaldo and scored a hat-trick, but Pepe left his mark too.
The veteran showed he still possessed a considerable leap as he rose to meet Bruno Fernandes’ corner, and his header left Yann Sommer helpless to make it 2-0.
That made him the third-oldest World Cup goalscorer overall.
At the time, he became the third-oldest outfield player to ever play at the tournament with his appearance in the quarter-final loss to Morocco, though he has since lost that record.
4. Lionel Messi (39 years, 13 days)
Argentina vs Egypt – 7 July 2026
Lionel Messi celebrated his 200th cap for Argentina with three goals in his first appearance of the 2026 World Cup against Algeria.
With the first of those strikes, he became the third-oldest player to score at a World Cup, in what was his record-breaking sixth different World Cup tournament. The goal that completed his treble made him the oldest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup history.
He then went on to score twice against Austria in Argentina’s second game of the 2026 edition six days later to edge closer towards Pepe in second place in this list and, somewhat more notably, go clear as the outright top scorer in World Cup history.
Messi’s old rival Cristiano Ronaldo then jumped him on this list, pushing Messi back down to fourth, though he did add further goals against Cape Verde and Egypt in the knockout stage.
5. Gunnar Gren (37 years, 236 days)
Sweden vs West Germany – 24 June 1958
Sweden’s Gunnar Gren scored in the 1958 World Cup semi-final against West Germany. After the Germans took the lead and Sweden equalised in the first half, Gren’s first and only World Cup goal was the one that put Sweden in front, before teammate Kurt Hamrin sealed the 3-1 win late on.
Gren’s goal helped to put Sweden into the 1958 final versus Brazil, but they went on to lose 5-2 thanks to a Pelé masterclass.
A special mention should be made for Russia’s Sergei Ignashevich here, however. The Russian scored an own goal against Spain at the 2018 World Cup at the age of 38 years and 352 days old – over a year older than Gren was when he scored his World Cup goal. Fortunately for the Russian, we aren’t including own goals in this list.
The Oldest Player to Score a World Cup Hat-Trick
On the day of his 200th international cap, Lionel Messi became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick as his three strikes carried Argentina to victory against Algeria in their 2026 World Cup opener. Messi was 38 years and 357 days old when he scored the 11th hat-trick of his international career and his first at a World Cup. Messi also equaled Miroslav Klose’s tally of 16 World Cup goals in the game.
Before Messi broke the record, it was held by his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who, at 33 years and 130 days old, netted all three of Portugal’s goals as they drew 3-3 against Spain in 2018. In doing so, Ronaldo broke Rob Rensenbrink’s record that had stood for 40 years.
The Oldest Player to Score in a World Cup Final
Nils Liedholm was 35 years and 264 days old when he scored in the 1958 World Cup final for Sweden against Brazil. The Swedish striker opened the scoring after only four minutes, but that lead lasted just five minutes before Vavá equalised for Brazil.
The 2022 World Cup showpiece between Argentina and France in Qatar yielded the next two oldest goalscorers in a final. Lionel Messi (35 years, 177 days) netted twice and Ángel Di María (34 years, 307 days) also struck in a 3-3 draw after extra-time, with the Albiceleste ultimately winning on penalties.
Add Opta Analyst as a preferred source by clicking here.
Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
