Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 23
2026 World Cup Lists 10 Oldest Players, With Ronaldo 41 and Modric 40
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 23

2026 World Cup Lists 10 Oldest Players, With Ronaldo 41 and Modric 40

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 23

Summary

  • Craig Gordon, 43, tops the 2026 FIFA World Cup age list, with Cristiano Ronaldo second at 41 and five players clustered at 40.
  • The top 10 also includes Guillermo Ochoa, Luka Modric, Edin Dzeko, Manuel Neuer and Vozinha at 40, followed by Fernando Muslera, Yuto Nagatomo and Hernan Galindez at 39.
  • Lionel Messi, 38, sits just outside the top 10 as the tournament's 12th-oldest player, while U.S. captain Tim Ream, also 38, ranks 13th.
  • The ranking underscores how several contenders still rely on veteran players for leadership and tournament experience despite the physical demands of a World Cup.

Insights

How can football fix its youth system bias that overlooks the next generation of resilient, long-career World Cup veterans?
Is veteran leadership a myth when aging stars are seen as hurting their team's chances at the World Cup?
What do the comeback stories of Gordon and Vozinha teach us about the limits of human endurance and the power of experience?