According to the official website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), this number exceeds the total number of players who participated in the World Cup, after they exceeded forty in all previous editions combined.
Over the course of 22 editions between 1930 and 2022, only seven players from this age group appeared in the World Cup. The Italian Dino Zoff was the first of them in the 1982 edition, while the Mexican Guillermo Ochoa was the most recent in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite this remarkable number, Egyptian Essam El-Hadary remains the record holder as the oldest player to participate in the history of the World Cup, after he played in the 2018 World Cup in Russia at the age of 45 years and five months.
Among the names expected in the next edition stands out Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, born on December 31, 1982, who will be the oldest player in the tournament, and the second oldest player in the history of the World Cup.
As for Cristiano Ronaldo, born on February 5, 1985, he will be the oldest field player in the 2026 World Cup, twenty years after his first participation, searching for the only title missing from his career with Portugal.
Mexican Guillermo Ochoa is preparing for a new appearance in the tournament, after the absence of Luis Malagón due to injury opened the door to his return to his country’s national team.
Luka Modric also returns to the world stage after leading Croatia to second place in the 2018 World Cup and third place in 2022, ready to embark on a new stage in his long career.
Also among the prominent names is Bosnian Edin Dzeko, the all-time top scorer for his country’s national team, who contributed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s return to the World Cup for the second time after the 2014 edition.
As for Uruguayan Fernando Muslera, he will turn 40 on June 16, one day after his country’s opening match against Saudi Arabia.
In Germany, Manuel Neuer is competing in the tournament at the age of 40 years and two months, after retracting his international retirement, becoming the last active player from the German squad that won the 2014 World Cup.
The list also includes Fosinha, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper, who turned 40 before the tournament and is preparing to participate in his country’s historic first appearance in the World Cup. (Arabic)
