On November 20, 2022, Qatar will host the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup. There will be a total of 32 participant countries, representing all seven continents. Fans all across the globe are counting down the minutes till the event kicks off and many countries have already released their official teams.
The competition will include athletes across a wide range of ages. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any player, and many promising youngsters will get their chance to shine this year.
On the other hand, we will see the last World Cup appearances of some seasoned players. The best players, representing the best countries, guarantee an exhibition of top-tier ability. Among the famous soccer veterans who have matured gracefully, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema will be participating.
Who will be the oldest player at 2022 World Cup?
Even while Ronaldo and Messi will be the two most recognized veterans on the field, they won't be the only seasoned players hoping to make a splash in Qatar. Several soccer greats are making the journey to what will very certainly be the last major competition in which they have ever participated. There will be Thiago Silva, the 38-year-old Brazilian, Guillermo Ochoa, the goalie for Club America, as well as Luka Modric of Croatia.
Both Ochoa and Ronaldo will be making their fifth World Cup appearances in Qatar 2022, while Dani Alves will be making his third appearance (having previously appeared in 2010 and 2014 but being left off the roster for Russia 2018).
However, the oldest player at this year's World Cup will be Mexican goalie Alfredo Talavera, who will be 40 years old and 63 days old when the competition begins. On the international stage, he predates such stars as Pepe of Portugal and Dani Alves of Brazil by a full year.
With any luck, he will join the likes of Cameroonian legend Roger Milla, Egyptian legend Essam El Hadary, Italian legend Dino Zoff, Northern Irish legend Pat Jennings, English legend Peter Shilton, Tunisian legend Ali Boumnijel, and Colombian legend Faryd Mondragon as the only men in their 40s to play in a World Cup.
