Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will be 43 years and 162 days old when the tournament begins, the oldest player in any World Cup since modern records started1. Cristiano Ronaldo, at 41, is the oldest outfield player and about to feature at a record sixth World Cup; Luka Modric and Edin Dzeko are both past 40. Germany's Manuel Neuer, 40, came out of retirement to start in goal2, his place secured when Nagelsmann named the squad in May.
That cluster of over-40s has no modern precedent. At the other end sits Mexico's Gilberto Mora, 17, leaving a 25-year gap between the oldest and youngest players at the same tournament. Goalkeeping carries much of the longevity: Gordon, Neuer and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa all arrive in their late thirties or forties, positions where reflexes decay more slowly than the legs an outfield career runs down.
The ageing reflects the expanded 48-team format, which adds qualification slots and lets experienced players reach a tournament a smaller field would have closed to them. Manchester City contribute a record 19 players across 12 nations, and Spain alone named a squad drawn entirely from the top five European leagues. Lionel Messi, 38, will appear for Argentina at his own record sixth World Cup.
