Portugal celebrated as Cristiano Ronaldo continued making history at 41 years of age, after he scored a goal in the Round of 32 against Croatia in the 2026 World Cup, breaking a record that Lionel Messi cannot achieve in this edition.
After scoring against Croatia, Ronaldo officially becomes the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout stage at exactly 41 years and 147 days. It is worth noting that Messi, despite performing in another prime with six goals in this edition, is still 39 years old and would have to wait four years to break it.
Beyond the record itself, this marks the first time across CR7’s six World Cup appearances that he has managed to score in the knockout stages. Fans had to wait until perhaps his final tournament for this to happen. Historic.
Oldest scorers in knockout stages
Scoring in the “life-or-death” stages of a World Cup requires superlative physical endurance and mental composure, especially when crossing the 35-year mark and the tournament’s wear and tear takes its toll. The merit of these four players, now passed for Cristiano Ronaldo, lies in the fact that they did not just contribute their experience in the locker room, but were decisive pieces on the tactical board when elimination pressure was at its highest:
Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates.
- Pepe (Portugal) – 39 years and 283 days: Scored a header against Switzerland in the Round of 16 at Qatar 2022 (a 6-1 victory for Portugal). He previously held the absolute record in knockout brackets.
- Roger Milla (Cameroon) – 38 years and 34 days: Scored his legendary brace against Colombia in the Round of 16 at Italy 1990, leading his country to a historic quarterfinal appearance.
- Gunnar Gren (Sweden) – 37 years and 236 days: Scored against West Germany in the semifinals of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
- Obdulio Varela (Uruguay) – 36 years and 279 days: The legendary Charruan captain scored against England in the quarterfinals of Switzerland 1954.
Fact to avoid confusion
It is vital to reiterate a distinction that sometimes confuses fans: the absolute record for the oldest goalscorer in any stage of the World Cup belongs to Roger Milla at 42 years and 39 days, but that goal came against Russia in the group stage of USA 1994.
Therefore, when it comes purely to the knockout rounds (KO), the Portuguese defensive wall Pepe stood firmly at the top of the podium since his 2022 performance, but he has now been surpassed by his former teammate for Portugal and Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo.
