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The FIFA World Cup is arguably the most competitive tournament in football. Even the brightest and fittest tend to stumble at the grandest stage, leaving little hope for players who are in the twilight of their careers.
Over the years, there have been a few courageous souls who have rebelled against Father Time. They have proven that biology has little hold in front of indomitable will and unwavering optimism.
Today, we will take a look at five such rebels who have pulled off arguably the toughest task in football at the most demanding tournament there is.
Now, without further ado, let’s check out the five oldest goalscorers in the history of the FIFA World Cup:
#5 Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Mexico) – 37 years, 151 days
Mexican playmaker, Cuauhtemoc Blanco was 37 years and 151 days old when he found the back of the net against France in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His strike then made him the third-oldest goalscorer in the tournament’s history, and the oldest Mexican to ever score at a World Cup.
Blanco’s third and final FIFA World Cup goal came from the penalty spot in the 79th minute and helped Mexico pick up a shocking 2-0 win over Les Bleus. The defeat against Mexico heavily contributed to France’s embarrassing group-stage exit from South Africa in 2010.
#4 Gunnar Gren (Sweden) – 37 years, 236 days
Legendary Swedish attacker Gunnar Gren scored only one FIFA World Cup goal in his illustrious career. Luckily, that one strike was enough to book him a place in the history books. Scoring in the 1958 World Cup semi-final against West Germany, Gren, 37 years and 236 days old at the time, then became the oldest marksman in the tournament’s history.
Gren’s goal came at a crucial time for Sweden. Sweden, with much difficulty, leveled the game 1-1 in the first half and were looking for the go-ahead goal. Gren led by example to put the Swedes 2-1 up. Kurt Hamrin added another late in the second half to take Sweden to a 3-1 win.
Unfortunately for Gren and Co. Sweden were outclassed by a Pele-led Brazil in the final, succumbing to a 5-2 defeat.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 37 years 295 days
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo made history when he scored for Portugal in their 2022 World Cup Group H opener against Ghana on 24 November 2022. Scoring from the penalty spot in the 65th minute, Ronaldo became the only player in history to score in five iterations of the World Cup. Aged 37 years and 295 days on the day of the match, Ronaldo then became the second-oldest scorer in the tournament’s history.
The former Real Madrid striker won the penalty himself after he was brought down inside the area by Mohammed Salisu. Confident as ever, Ronaldo opted to put his foot through the ball, taking it up and above Ghanian stopper Lawrence Ati-Zigi and rippling the netting. Helped on by his goal, the Navigators eventually secured a 3-2 victory over their gritty Group H rivals Ghana.
#2 Pepe (Portugal) – 39 years, 283 days
One of the greatest centre-backs of the 21st century, Pepe went down in the history books when he found the back of the net against Switzerland on December 6, 2022. Starting in Portugal’s round-of-16 clash against the Swiss in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Pepe scored an impeccable header in the 33rd minute. Aged 39 years and 283 days, he became the second-oldest scorer in FIFA World Cup history.
Pepe’s goal came from a perfectly-taken Bruno Fernandes corner. From the right, the midfielder swung an inswinging corner into the box. Pepe, who was positioned centrally, met the delivery confidently and took it past a helpless Yann Sommer to make it 2-0 for the 2016 European Champions. The Navigators eventually won the game 6-1, recording one of their most dominant victories in the tournament.
#1 Roger Milla (Cameroon) – 42 years, 39 days
Legendary striker Roger Milla became the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history when he scored against Russia in Cameroon’s final group-stage match in the USA in 1994. Merely a minute after coming on in the second half, Milla picked up the ball on the edge of the area, carved out a bit of space, and shot past Russian goalkeeper Stanislas Cherchesov.
Milla, who was 42 years and 39 days old at the time, however, failed to save his team from an embarrassing defeat. Buoyed by an Oleg Salenko hat-trick, Russia secured an emphatic 6-1 win over Cameroon on that occasion.
Milla was easily Cameroon’s sharpest forward during his time, with him scoring five goals in 10 appearances across three FIFA World Cups (1982, 1990, 1994). His run at the 1990 World Cup, during which he scored four goals in five games to take Cameroon to the quarter-finals, was the stuff of dreams.
