WORLD CUP RECORDS (Part 1) - THE OLDEST PLAYERS


Picture : Essam El Hadary stopped a penalty in the World Cup at the age of 45 years 161 days !


One month before the beginning of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the IFFHS will publish a series of World Cup Records.


Oldest Player: Essam El Hadary

*Essam El Hadary (Egypt) is the oldest player and oldest captain in the World Cup history. He has played at 2018 edition at the age of 45 years 161 days. In his only game vs Saudi Arabia (1-2), El Hadary managed to stop a penalty!

*The oldest outfield player Roger Milla (Cameroon) takes 3rd position in the ranking. Having played in the World Cup 1994 at age of 42 years 39 days, he possessed the record of competition during 20 years, until 2014.

*In the current ranking, Milla is the only outfield player among the 9 oldest.

*There are 7 players in the World Cup history to feature at the age 40+ years. Will someone new join them in Qatar? Unlikely. The oldest players expected to enter the squads, Eiji Kawishima (Japan) and Dani Alves (Brazil), are 39 year old.

*Dino Zoff (Italy) is the oldest player to appear in a final game (40 years 133 days, vs Germany, 1982). He became then also the oldest champion.

*The Mexican Rafael Garza Gutiérrez, who performed at the first World Cup (1930), had the most ancient date of birth among all participants in the history of competition – 13 December 1896.

*The oldest player in a World Cup qualifying match was MacDonald Taylor Sr. of the U.S. Virgin Islands: 46 years 175 days in the game vs Saint Kitts and Nevis on 18 February 2004 (CONCACAF First Round).


 OLDEST PLAYERSIN WORLD CUPS   
      
 PlayerCountryAge (Y-D)DateGame
      
1Essam El Hadary Egypt45-16125/06/2018Saudi Arabia 1-2
2Faryd MondragonColombia 43-00324/06/2014Japan 4-1
3Roger Milla Cameroon 42-03928/06/1994Russia 1-6
4Pat JenningsNorthern Ireland 41-00012/06/1986Brazil 0-3
5Peter ShiltonEngland 40-29207/07/1990Italy 1-2
6Dino ZoffItaly40-13311/07/1982Germany 3-1
7Ali Boumnijel Tunisia40-07123/06/2006Ukraine 0-1
8Jim LeightonScotland 39-33423/06/1998Morocco 0-3
9David JamesEngland39-33027/06/2010Germany 1-4
10Angel LabrunaArgentina39-26015/06/1958Czechoslovakia 1-6
11Joseph Antoine BellCameroon 39-259 24.06.1994Brazil 0-3
12Stanley Matthews England39-14126/06/1954Uruguay 2-4
13Sergei IgnashevichRussia 38-358 07.07.2018Croatia 2-2
14Jan HeintzeDenmark 38-29306/06/2002Senegal 1-1
15David SeamanEngland 38-27521/06/2002Brazil 1-2
16Vitor Damas Portugal 38-24611/06/1986Morocco 1-3
17Mario YepesColombia 38-17204/07/2014Brazil 1-2