Reaching a world cup is not an easy task. Being in the highest soccer competition worldwide requires having a fairly high level, being physically fit and possessing great talent. Between the ages of 20 and 35 it’s relatively easy to be at the highest level, but then it’s more complicated and that makes teams call younger players. Here, therefore, we tell you who is the oldest to play in a World Cup.
When thinking of veteran players in World Cup history, two names immediately come to mind. The first of them is that of Dino Zoff, champion with Italy in Spain 1982 at the age of 40. The second is that of Roger Milla, who was part of the Cameroonian team that gave the surprise in Italy 1990, and later played at the age of 42 in the USA 1994 World Cup where he scored a goal.
Finally, somewhat closer in time, we have the player who up to that moment had broken the record held by Roger Milla for several years. It is nothing less than the Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who in Brazil 2014 replaced David Ospina in a game against Japan when he was 43 years and 3 days old.
The oldest player record
The record lasted barely 4 years for Faryd Mondragon, who must settle for second place. It is that just 4 years later, in Russia 2018, this record would be broken again, remaining in the hands of the Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary. He achieved the record in the group stage game against Saudi Arabia, when he was 45 years and 161 days old.