Six oldest goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history

Every edition of the quadrennial mega event is full of records, moments and goals that propel a human to the status of demi-gods.

Now that the World Cup 2022 has begun, we thought it would be fun to look back at previous tournaments and recall some of the most remarkable moments that are updated. World Cups are the celebration of the beautiful sport that football is. Records, goals and moments that propel humans to the status of demi-gods, you name it and you will find it in almost every edition of the quadrennial tournament. We have decided to look at some of these records: records that make you question if the players are even human. We look at the six oldest goalscorers in the history of the World Cup.

6. Felipe Baloy – 37 years, 120 days (2018)

Panama played in their first World Cup in 2018. The country from Central America finished ahead of the U.S. in qualifying to go to Russia. Their chances of shocking the odds at the tournament were low. They were in a tough group with Belgium and England. However, Felipe Baloy got to celebrate after scoring Panama's first-ever World Cup goal against England.

Even though the Three Lions beat them by a score of 6-1, the defender will always remember that goal. Baloy, who came on as a substitute nine minutes before scoring, is the oldest player to ever score in their first World Cup game. He is also the fourth-oldest player to ever score in the World Cup.

5. Cuauhtémoc Blanco – 37 years, 151 days (2010)

Somehow, Mexicans manage to live longer than the average population. Only four players in history (two of whom are Mexican) have been to all five World Cups. After Qatar 2022, that number will climb to eight, with Andres Guardado and Guillermo Ochoa keeping Mexico's presence at 50% in the club of nations with at least five World Cup victories.

Though he fell short of the record, Cuauhtémoc Blanco did become the first Mexican to score in three different World Cups. When he scored a penalty kick against France in 2010, at the age of 40, he became the third-oldest player to score a goal at a World Cup.

4. Gunnar Gren – 37 years, 236 days (1958)

In 1958, Sweden hosted the World Cup and made it all the way to the final before losing to Brazil, whose team featured a young Pele. Gunnar Gren was instrumental in Sweden's run to the final, starting and scoring in the semi-final victory over West Germany. Following Sweden's come-from-behind 3-1 victory, Gren was nominated to the World Cup's All-Star squad.

As soon as the tournament ended, the former AC Milan attacker resigned from international football. His final international appearance was in October 1958 against Denmark. Only four other players in Swedish history have scored more than his 32 goals in 58 games before he retired. It took anyone else 64 years to break Gren's record and join the list of oldest goalscorers in World Cup.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 37 years 295 days (1985)

Ronaldo has been scoring so many goals that every time he scores now, he breaks a record. A goal he scored in the first group stage game of World Cup 2022 made him the second oldest goalscorers in the history of the FIFA World Cup.

The former Manchester United attacker broke the record previously held by Sweden's Gunnar Gren, who was 37 years and 236 days old when he scored in a 1958 FIFA World Cup semifinal match against West Germany. This is Ronaldo's chance to make amends.

Recently, Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the news for all the wrong reasons after giving an explosive interview to Piers Morgan in which he claimed that his former club, Manchester United, had "betrayed" him. Once the World Cup is complete, the 37-year-old will try to stake his claim to a club by pointing to his goal in Portugal's opening encounter against Ghana.

2. Pepe - 39 years, 283 days (1983)

Just like his then-national teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe scored in the World Cup 2022 to get on the list. The former Real Madrid centre-back jumped the highest in the first half of the Round of 16 game against Switzerland to head in the goal that doubled Portugal's lead. Pepe was just two months short of his 40th birthday when he scored the goal.

With the goal, Pepe also became the oldest scorer in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

1. Roger Milla – 42 years, 39 days (1994)

The experienced Cameroonian forward Roger Milla was coaxed out of retirement for his team's effort at Italia '90, and he promptly scored and danced his way into World Cup legend.

The 38-year-old scored four goals to become one of the tournament's breakout stars, and his trademark celebration dance around the corner flag became iconic of the 1990 World Cup. Milla's goals helped Cameroon advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, making them the first African side to do so.

In recognition of his stellar play, Milla was once again crowned African Footballer of the Year, an incredible 14 years after he first won the honour. He wasn't satisfied with that, though, and came back to the World Cup four years later to break his own record.

While Milla's 1994 team, The Indomitable Lions, did not advance out of the group stage, he did score the game-winning goal in a record-setting victory over Russia. Just over a month after turning 42, he scored in a World Cup, making him the oldest player to ever do so.