Online Reporter
CRISTIANO RONALDO may have scored at a record sixth FIFA World Cup, but there is one piece of history which still eludes both him and Lionel Messi, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday.
When Ronaldo broke the deadlock against Uzbekistan in Portugal’s second group match, he became the second-oldest scorer in the history of the tournament, finding the back of the net at the ripe old age of 41 years and 138 days.
But the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man still sits behind Cameroon great Roger Milla on the all-time list.
Milla first featured at the 1982 finals in Spain but found global fame, aged 38, with four goals as the Indomitable Lions reached the quarter-finals at Italia 90 — the first African team to make it that far — marking his efforts with a dance by the corner flag, which became his trademark.
Four years later, Milla was back on the scoresheet at US 94, slotting in from eight yards against Russia. The corner flag wiggle was back again, but Cameroon lost the game 6-1 and went out at the group stage.
However, Ronaldo will no doubt take some pride in the fact he bumped Messi down from third to fourth on the list after the Argentina forward had netted aged 38 years and 363 days in his side’s win over Austria.
Messi could also be overtaken by Bosnia-Herzegovina striker Edin Dzeko or Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, both 40, should, either, bag a goal.
Japan centre-back Yuto Nagamoto is also nine months older than the Argentine legend but is yet to make an appearance.
The top 10 oldest goalscorers in World Cup history:
- Roger Milla — Cameroon vs Russia (28 June 1994) — 42 years, 39 days
- Cristiano Ronaldo — Portugal vs Uzbekistan (23 June 2026) — 41 years, 138 days
- Pepe — Portugal vs Switzerland (6 December 2022) – 39 years, 283 days
- Lionel Messi — Argentina vs Austria (22 June 2026) — 38 years, 363 days
- Gunnar Gren — Sweden v Germany (24 June 1958) — 37 years, 236 days
- Cuauhtemoc Blanco — Mexico v France (17 June 2010) — 37 years, 151 days
- Felipe Baloy — Panama vs England (24 June 2018) — 37 years, 120 days
- Marko Arnautovic — Austria v Jordan (17 June 2026) — 37 years, 58 days
- Obdulio Varela — Uruguay vs England (26 June 1954) — 36 years, 279 days
- Martin Palermo — Argentina vs Greece (22 June 2010) — 36 years, 227 days — BBC Sport.
