At the World Cup, history can be made with any goal. At 42, Cameroon's Roger Milla set the record for oldest player to score in World Cup history in 1994, while Brazilian legend Pelé began his historic career scoring against Wales in 1958 as a 17-year-old to become the youngest man ever to score at the World Cup. While Milla's record for oldest goal scorer will not be topped in 2026, he was joined by fellow 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored for Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
Here are the oldest and youngest men to score in World Cup history:
Oldest
Roger Milla (Cameroon), 42 years, 39 days (1994 vs. Russia)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), 41 years, 138 days (2026 vs. Uzbekistan)
Pepe (Portugal), 39 years, 283 days (2022 vs. Switzerland)
Lionel Messi (Argentina), 38 years, 363 days (2026 vs. Austria)
Gunnar Gren (Sweden), 37 years, 236 days (1928 vs. West Germany)
Youngest
Pelé (Brazil), 17 years, 239 days (1958 vs. Wales)
Manuel Rosas (Mexico), 18 years, 93 days (1930 vs Argentina)
Gavi (Spain), 18 years, 110 days (2022 vs. Costa Rica)
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal), 18 years, 143 days (2026 vs. France)
Michael Owen (England), 18 years, 190 days (1998 vs. Romania)
For more World Cup content, check out the ESPN hub page for scores, schedules and more.
