New Delhi: Cristiano Ronaldo has spent much of the 2026 FIFA World Cup answering questions about age, form, speed, reflexes and whether Portugal should finally move on.
However, on Tuesday night, against Uzbekistan, he answered them within six minutes.
The Portuguese captain scored twice to become the second-oldest player ever to score at a FIFA World Cup. At 41 years and 138 days, Ronaldo moved past some of the game’s biggest names and added another record to a career that now spans six World Cups.
The brace also carried added significance. Ronaldo overtook Eusébio’s tally of nine World Cup goals to become Portugal’s outright leading goalscorer in the tournament’s history.
Only one man has scored at a World Cup at an older age.
1. Roger Milla (Cameroon)
The record still belongs to Roger Milla.
At the 1994 World Cup in the US, the Cameroonian scored against Russia at the age of 42 years and 39 days. Cameroon lost 6-1, but Milla’s goal secured a place in football history that has endured for more than three decades.
For years, the record looked untouchable.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo’s brace against Uzbekistan moved him into second place on the all-time list.
It also extended a record he already owned. Having become the first player to score in five different World Cups in Qatar 2022, he is now the first footballer to score in six separate tournaments.
Twenty years after making his World Cup debut in Germany, Ronaldo is still scoring on football’s biggest stage.
3. Pepe (Portugal)
Before Ronaldo’s latest strike, Portugal’s oldest World Cup goalscorer was his long-time teammate Pepe. He achieved the feat at 39 years 283 days.
The defender scored against Switzerland in the Round of 16 at Qatar 2022, becoming the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match.
Also read: From penalty miss to history-maker—Messi becomes World Cup all-time top scorer against Austria
4. Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Ronaldo’s great rival is also among the oldest scorers in World Cup history. He scored his latest goal aged 37 years 362 days.
Messi’s five goals at the 2026 tournament added another milestone to a career already overflowing with them.
5. Gunnar Gren (Sweden)
Long before modern sports science extended careers, Sweden’s Gunnar Gren set longevity records of his own.
Gren scored against West Germany in the 1958 World Cup semi-final at the age of 37 years and 236 days, helping Sweden reach its first World Cup final.
Another record within reach
While Roger Milla’s overall record remains intact, another milestone may be closer.
Pepe’s mark as the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match could fall before this tournament is over. If Portugal progresses deep into the competition, Ronaldo will have opportunities to surpass his former teammate’s record.
At 41, he has already become the first player to score in six World Cups. Another longevity record may yet follow.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)