On the eve of his 39th birthday, Messi scores again and reinforces his place in the top 3 oldest players in World Cup history

By scoring against Austria in the second round of Group J of the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi reinforced his position as the third oldest player to score a goal in World Cups. The star is 38 years and 363 days old, meaning he will turn 39 next Thursday.

In the ranking of the most experienced goalscorers in World Cups, the Argentine striker is behind only Cameroonian Roger Milla (42 years and 39 days) and Portuguese Pepe (39 years and 283 days).

Other players, however, could surpass the Argentinian in the rankings during this World Cup. These include Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, 41; Croatia’s Luka Modric, 40; and Edin Dzeko of Bosnia and Herzegovina, also 40.

The 2026 World Cup has a long list of players in their forties. According to FIFA, in the entire history of the World Cup, only seven players in their 40s have competed in the tournament.

The first was the Italian Dino Zoff, in Spain 1982, and the most recent was Alfredo Talavera, in Qatar 2022.

The 2026 World Cup has a long list of players in their forties. According to FIFA, in the entire history of the World Cup, only seven players in their 40s have competed in the tournament.

The first was the Italian Dino Zoff, in Spain 1982, and the most recent was Alfredo Talavera, in Qatar 2022.

Below is the the forty-somethings at the World Cup:

Grandma, from Cape Verde: 40 years old

Craig Gordon, from Scotland: 43 years old

Cristiano Ronaldo, from Portugal: 41 years old

Guillermo Ochoa, from Mexico: 41 years old

Luka Modric, from Croatia: 40 years old

Edin Dzeko, from Bosnia and Herzegovina: 40 years old

Fernando Muslera, from Uruguay: 40 years old

Manuel Neuer, from Germany: 40 years old

Vozinha, from Cape Verde: 40 years old