Craig Gordon
Scotland goalkeeper, 43, the oldest player at the 2026 World Cup.
Last refreshed: 7 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is Craig Gordon genuinely the oldest goalkeeper ever to play at a World Cup?
Timeline for Craig Gordon
Named as oldest player in the tournament at 43 years and 162 days
2026 FIFA World Cup: Gordon, 43, Leads Oldest World Cup Field- How old is Craig Gordon at the 2026 World Cup?
- Craig Gordon is 43 years and 162 days old at kickoff, making him the oldest player in the entire 2026 World Cup field.Source: Lowdown / Opta
- Is Craig Gordon the oldest player at the 2026 World Cup?
- Yes. Gordon, at 43, is the oldest player in the tournament, older than Cristiano Ronaldo (41) and Edin Dzeko.Source: Lowdown
- When did Scotland last play in a World Cup before 2026?
- Scotland's previous World Cup appearance was at France 1998, making the 2026 tournament their first in 28 years.
- How did Craig Gordon play against Bolivia in Scotland's 2026 World Cup warm-up?
- Gordon kept a clean sheet in Scotland's 4-0 win over Bolivia on 6 June 2026, with Steve Clarke reporting no injuries.Source: Lowdown
Background
Craig Gordon is Scotland's starting goalkeeper at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and at 43 years and 162 days old at kickoff he is the oldest player in the tournament — older than Cristiano Ronaldo (41) and making history as the oldest keeper ever to feature at a World Cup. He kept a clean sheet in Scotland's 4-0 warm-up win over Bolivia on 6 June 2026, with Steve Clarke reporting no injuries from the squad ahead of the tournament.
Born 31 December 1982 in Kirkcaldy, Gordon began his career at Heart of Midlothian before joining Sunderland in 2007 and Celtic in 2014. He returned to Hearts in 2020 and has been Scotland's first choice since 2021. His career has been shaped by a serious wrist injury sustained in 2012 that kept him out for nearly two years, but he recovered to become Scotland's most dependable keeper of his generation. He made his Scotland debut in 2004 and has accumulated 65 caps.
Gordon's presence at this World Cup — Scotland's first since France 1998 — carries considerable symbolic weight. The 25-year age gap between Gordon and Mexico's 17-year-old Gilberto Mora illustrates the exceptional breadth of the oldest World Cup field on record.
