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On May 27, 2025, Kenya’s South African coach, Benni McCarthy, named Victor Wanyama in his 2026 World Cup qualifiers squad, eliciting debate on what value the then 34–year-old brought to the team.
There was a lot of criticism directed at McCarthy for bringing in an already “internationally retired” player into the game when young blood was what was needed for the future.
At the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the oldies, who would normally have been put to pasture, are stealing the show, led by record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi of Argentina.
The little magician started his show in their opening Group "J" match against Algeria on June 16, 2026 becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the tournament’s history, aged 38 years and 357 days. Messi surpassed the feat achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 33 years and 130 days old when he scored three against Spain in 2018.
Argentina's Lionel Messi during the Jordan versus Argentina World Cup game at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, US, on June 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
Messi had earlier eclipsed Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of most World Cup goals of 16 set in 2014, when the Argentine brought his tally to 18 on June 22 as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in Dallas.
Then, in Argentina’s last group match on June 27, a 3-1 win against Jordan, Messi came off the bench to score his sixth goal of the tournament as he became the first man to net in seven consecutive World Cup matches, bringing his all-time tally to a record extending 19.
Messi, and his Portuguese peer Ronaldo who is 41 years old, are the only outfield players to have appeared in six different tournaments. Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments, opening his 2026 account with a brace on June 23 in Portugal’s 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan in a Group K match played in Houston.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during the Colombia versus Portugal World Cup game at Miami Stadium on June 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
Cabo Verde’s goalie Josimar José Évora Dias, better known as Vozinha – “little grandmother” in Portuguese, was 40 years and 12 days when he produced a man-of-the-match performance in Cape Verde’s shock 0-0 draw against Spain in their Group “H” opener in Atlanta on June 15.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha makes a save during their Group H Fifa World Cup match against Spain at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia on June 15, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is appearing in his fifth World Cup after coming out of retirement to reclaim his number one position with “Die Nationalelf” at the age of 40 years and three months.
Germany's Manuel Neuer.
Photo credit: Reuters
Legendary Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made his record-extending 154th international cap aged 40 as a 78th minute substitute in the co-hosts’ 2-0 Group “A” win over the Czech Republic on June 24.
Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa.
Photo credit: Reuters
It is worth noting that the oldest World Cup-winning player is a goalkeeper, Italy’s Dino Zoff, who lifted the coveted trophy in Spain in 1982, aged 40 years and 133 days.
Luka Modric, at the ripe old age of 40 years and eight months, has been the master conductor of the Croatian team who recovered from a 4-2 loss to England to book their round of 32 place with back-to-back wins against Panama and Ghana. In Group “L”. The skilled midfielder is a veteran of four World Cups, and famously captained Croatia to a second-place finish in 2018.
Africa’s second top ranked team, Senegal, squeezed into the round of 32 from a very difficult group, helped by the coterie of aging stars, striker Sadio Mane (34 years), Kalidou Koulibaly (35 years) and Edouard Mendy (34 years).
Jordan Ayew, at 34 years, is appearing in his third World Cup and has been a calming leader for the Black Stars who booked their third World Cup knock-out spot and will play Colombia on Friday in the round of 32.
Meanwhile, Belgian Hugo Broos became the oldest head coach to win a match in the tournament's history, aged 74 years and 75 days, in South Africa's Group "A" 1-0 win over South Korea on June 24.
The oldies are certainly having a say in this World Cup, and they seem not done yet.
