Oldest Players at the World Cup
The oldest player to appear at the World Cup was Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary who was 45-years and 161-days-old when he took the field for his team's final group match against Saudi Arabia on 25 June 2018. This surpassed the record set in 2014 by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who appeared in a 4-1 win over Japan on 24 June 2014 aged 43 years and 3 days old. All except no.10 Ángel Labruna are goal keepers. See also our list of the youngest players, and Oldest and Youngest Players Trivia.
Top-10 List of the Oldest Players
| Rank | Age | Player | Country | World Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 years, 161 days | Essam El Hadary | Egypt | 2018 |
| 2 | 43 years, 3 days | Faryd Mondragón | Colombia | 2014 |
| 3 | 42 years, 39 days | Roger Milla |
Cameroon | 1994 |
| 4 | 41 years, 0 days | Pat Jennings |
Northern Ireland | 1986 |
| 5 | 40 years, 292 days | Peter Shilton |
England | 1990 |
| 6 | 40 years, 41 days | Dino Zoff |
Italy | 1982 |
| 7 | 40 years, 38 days | Ali Boumnijel |
Tunisia | 2006 |
| 8 | 39 years, 310 days | Jim Leighton |
Scotland | 1998 |
| 9 | 39 years, 306 days | David James |
England | 2010 |
| 10 | 39 years, 242 days | Angel Labruna |
Argentina | 1958 |
Other noteworthy old players
- The oldest player to appear in the World Cup final was 40 years and 133 days old Dino Zoff of Italy, in the game against West Germany on 11 July 1982.
- The oldest player in a World Cup qualifying match was MacDonald Taylor Sr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands who was 46 years and 175 days old in a game against Saint Kitts and Nevis on 18 February 2004, 2006 (CONCACAF First Round).
Related Pages
- World Cup Records
- Youngest Players at the World Cup
- World Cup Oldest and Youngest Players Trivia
- More World Cup Trivia
- World Cup FIRSTS
- Women's World Cup Trivia
- World Cup Quiz
- Oldest and Youngest at the Olympics
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