Top Oldest Goal Scorers in FIFA World Cup History

Cristiano Ronaldo did not achieve his dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy this summer, yet he left North America with three new milestones. His opening goal during Portugal's group stage victory against Uzbekistan marked him as the only male player to score in six World Cup tournaments, a record he shares with Lionel Messi for appearances.

Later, Ronaldo scored an equalizer against Croatia in the round of 32, becoming the oldest player to find the net in a knockout match at 41 years and 147 days old. Despite these feats, he does not hold the title of the oldest scorer in World Cup history.

The Oldest Goalscorer Still Holds Strong

The honor of being the oldest goalscorer belongs to Roger Milla of Cameroon, who scored against Russia in the 1994 USA World Cup at 42 years and 39 days old.

This summer’s tournament highlighted the impact of seasoned players. Alongside Messi, both Marko Arnautovic and Ivan Perisic joined the top ten list of oldest World Cup scorers.

Ranking of Oldest FIFA World Cup Goal Scorers

These veterans showed that age does not always limit performance on the world’s biggest football stage. The mix of experience and skill brought an interesting dynamic to the tournament.