Soccer
Who are the oldest and youngest players at the 2026 World Cup?
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Among the World Cup squads are some of the biggest names in world football, all fulfilling a career's ambition of being part of the game's greatest stage.
The parties of 26 range from football legends and world-class superstars to some ready to explode and make a name for themselves with the world watching on.
But who are the players who are at either end of the age spectrum this time around in North America? DAZN News has the answer.
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Who are the oldest players at the 2026 World Cup?
No player included in the 2026 squads will break the record of Essam El Hadary, who at 45 years and 161 days remains the oldest player to appear at the finals.
In 2018, he made one appearance for Egypt in a group stage defeat to Saudi Arabia and his record will stay intact for another tournament at least.
So for 2026, the tournament's oldest player will be Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon. The Hearts stopper will be 43 years and 162 days old when the finals begin next month and has been handed the number 1 jersey for the Tartan Army.
Gordon is one of seven age-defying names who will be 40 or over at the 2026 World Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo the oldest outfield player at 41 years and 126 days.
Over-40 players at the World Cup
- Craig Gordon (Scotland) 43 years
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 41 years
- Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico) 40 years
- Luka Modric (Croatia) 40 years
- Eden Dzeko (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 40 years
- Manuel Neuer (Germany) 40 years
- Vozinha (Cape Verde) 40 years
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Who are the youngest players at the 2026 World Cup?
Footballers may be getting first-team action younger and younger in the modern era, but surprisingly the World Cup's youngest-ever player is still Norman Whiteside, who was just 17 years and 41 days when he appeared for Northern Ireland at the 1982 finals.
In 2026, just missing out on that record is Mexico's Gilberto Mora, who will be 17 years and 240 days old at his home finals.
Mora is the only 17-year-old among the 48 teams, with the next youngest being Hugo Sochurek (Czech Republic) at 18 years and 4 days, Lennart Karl (Germany) 18 years and 109 days, Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal) 18 years and 138 days and Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt) at 18 years and 161 days.
Getty Images
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