The Oldest Players in World Cup History
The Top 5 oldest players in World Cup history.
Who is the oldest player in World Cup History? Are they all goalkeepers?
The School of Football provides a bitesize run down of the 5 oldest footballers to have played in a World Cup.
Goalkeepers quite obviously dominate the list, with two British keeping legends at the bottom of this amazing collection of footballers.
Who could forget Roger Milla and his incredible dancing corner-flag celebration at World Cup Italia 90? A true legend of the game.
At the top of the list however is legendary Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who apart from 30 games for Swiss side FC Sion played his entire career in MENA, having played for clubs in Egypt, Saudi and Sudan.
1. Essam El-Hadary: Egypt
El-Hadary was 45 years and 10 days old when he started for Egypt against Saudi Arabia in their final group game at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
El-Hadary played a combined 1028 matches for club and country in a career that spanned 26 years with over 300 appearances coming for Egyptian powerhouse Al-Ahly. He goes down as one of the greatest players to play for Egypt.
The cover picture shows Essam tearfully apologising to the Egyptian fans after they were knocked out of the 2018 World Cup.
2. Faryd Mondragon: Colombia
On the 24th of June 2014 goalkeeper, Faryd Mondragón was 43 years and 3 days old when he came on as an 85th-minute substitute for Colombia against Japan in their final group game.
Mondragon played all over the world in his career including Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, France, Turkey, Germany, the USA and his native Colombia.
3. Roger Milla: Cameroon
Roger Milla not only made a lot of goals, he made a record too!
The legendary Roger Milla was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored a consolation goal for Cameroon in their final group game at the 1994 World Cup, in a 6-1 defeat to Russia.
Roger Milla was not just a good dancer, he was an incredibly good goalscorer. He scored an impressive 438 goals in 794 club games and his record for Cameroon was 43 goals in 77 games. Both extremely good goalscoring ratios and he makes it into the Top 5 greatest footballers from Cameroon.
4. Pat Jennings: Northern Ireland
Pat Jennings was celebrating his 41st birthday on the 12th of June 1986 when he played his last international game for Northern Ireland, in a 3-0 loss to Brazil at the 1986 World Cup.
Pat Jennings - A wonderful player for Spurs and another London club.
Pat Jennings is one of only 8 players to have played for leading North London club Tottenham Hotspur and their uninvited local neighbour Arsenal.
5. Peter Shilton: England
England’s most capped player of all time, Peter Shilton was 40 years 9 months and 19 days old when he played his 125th and last game for England in a 2-1 loss in the third-place playoff game in the 1990 World Cup against the hosts, Italy.
Peter Shilton is now more well known for discussing Brexit than he is remembered for his goalkeeping, but he will always be remembered for never getting over Maradona's ‘hand of God’ goal, and also being one of England’s greatest players.
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