Remarkably, this number exceeds the total count of 40-plus players who participated across the previous 22 FIFA World Cups combined.

From 1930 to 2022, only seven players aged 40 or above appeared in World Cup tournaments. Traditionally, most of these veteran players have been goalkeepers.

However, the record number of older players expected at the 2026 World Cup demonstrates that age is more than just a number.

Scotland’s 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon could be the oldest player at the tournament. Reports suggest he may be included as a backup goalkeeper, and if he takes the field, he would become the second-oldest player in World Cup history.

Meanwhile, Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who will be 38 during the tournament, is set to play in his sixth World Cup.

The oldest player ever to appear in a FIFA World Cup remains Essam El-Hadary, who represented Egypt at the 2018 World Cup at the age of 45.

Football legend and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 41, is expected to be the oldest outfield player at the tournament. By participating in his sixth World Cup, he is also set to achieve another global record.

Other members of the exclusive 40-plus club include Croatia’s midfield maestro Luka Modrić, who is expected to captain his nation in his fifth World Cup, and Bosnia’s renowned striker Edin Džeko.

The list also features Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, whose nation has reportedly qualified for the World Cup for the first time, as well as Germany’s famous goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup and is set to return to the global stage at age 40.

Similarly, Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera will celebrate his 40th birthday the day after his team’s opening group-stage match, while Mexico’s legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is expected to play in his sixth World Cup at the age of 40.

It is worth noting that the record for the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history belongs to Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who scored at the 1994 World Cup at the age of 42 and remains the oldest player ever to score in a World Cup finals tournament.