The last time it was played in the United States, Roger Milla was still there, almost mythic in stature. He was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored against Russia for Cameroon: to this day it remains the oldest goal in World Cup history. Records aside, if back then the presence of such a long-serving striker felt like an anomaly, today it is becoming the rule. Never before have so many players over 40 appeared together across editions of the tournament.
In 2026, the list is unusually long: Cristiano Ronaldo (41), Manuel Neuer (40), Luka Modrić (almost 41). But also Edin Džeko (40), Memo Ochoa (41), Fernando Muslera (40), and the less high-profile Vozinha and Craig Gordon — 40 and 43 respectively, both goalkeepers for Cape Verde and Scotland, with Gordon set to be the oldest player in the tournament.
How is such a concentration of footballing old age possible? The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams plays a part, certainly. Yet not only that. Players between 38 and 40 have also become increasingly common: there are more than twenty of them, including the almost 39-year-old Leo Messi. Statistically, it can hardly be a coincidence. It is instead the outcome of a sport that is evolving — and with it, its methods of preparation, advances in sports medicine that support longevity, and the ability to adapt one’s game to the natural effects of ageing while remaining competitive at the highest level. The absolute reference point in this regard is, unsurprisingly, the unchanging CR7.
“Maintaining peak physical condition around forty depends on a combination of factors,” an authoritative Spanish sports doctor explained in the pages of El País. “The first is training: it is not about doing more, but about doing better, controlling workload with the help of technology and adapting exercises to each player’s condition. An important development in recent years has been the increased emphasis on strength work: it is essential for maintaining muscle mass, which in turn is key to extending a playing career and protecting players from avoidable injuries and strains. Until a few years ago, hardly any players had regular support from specialists outside the club environment. Nutritionists, analysts, individual trainers. They have become decisive figures in extending athletic careers.”
It remains a natural fact that certain roles are more suited than others to a later stage of a career: five of the eight players over 40 at the 2026 World Cup are goalkeepers — and it was also a goalkeeper, Essam El-Hadary, who set the all-time record, playing for Saudi Arabia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The others tend to be central forwards. It is no coincidence that CR7 himself, for years now, has gradually shifted his positioning from the wings to the centre of the penalty area. Those who pay the highest price are inevitably wide players and high-intensity midfielders: the fact that a playmaker like Modrić can still perform at this level only reinforces the sense of exception.
More broadly, the performances of these “veterans” remain, in most cases, extremely high. These are not ceremonial call-ups. They are there on merit. There are, quite simply, still no better options.
The striking edge of this evolution lies here. The gentle Milla of 1994 looked like a survivor: venerable appearance, uncertain stride, that toothless smile that accompanied much of his career. The world celebrated with Cameroon, who lost 6–1 that day, though the footage tells a different story.
Today — and here teeth are no minor detail, think of CR7’s blindingly perfect smile — those same over-40 players are simply there among the others. And they look like the others. If anything, they appear as examples of discipline that continue to challenge the passage of time itself. Who, then, dares to go further?