Six oldest goalscorers in FIFA World Cup history ft. Cristiano Ronaldo

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.

3. 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.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 41 years, 138 days (1985)

Ronaldo has been scoring so many goals that every time he scores now, he breaks a record. Having already become the tournament’s third-oldest goalscorer in the 2022 edition, he went one step further by becoming the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history with a strike in the 2026 edition in North America.

The goal came in a group-stage clash against Uzbekistan, with Ronaldo putting his side ahead inside six minutes. Interestingly, this made him the first player to score in six different World Cups, adding one more record to his name. Further, it was his first strike in his last 11 appearances in major tournaments.

Recently, Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the news for all the wrong reasons after a disappointing performance in the match against DR Congo. He was criticised by fans and pundits, including Thierry Henry, who criticised his alleged selfish play. However, the Portuguese number 7 silenced all his critics with a brilliant comeback in the match against Uzbekistan.

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.

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