Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo netted a goal against Uzbekistan, becoming the second‑oldest scorer in World Cup history at 41 years and 138 days. The strike moved him past Lionel Messi on the all‑time list, yet the record still belongs to Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who first scored at age 38 during Italy 1990. his four‑goal haul helped Cameroon reach the quarter‑finals, a for Africa.

Roger Milla first appeared at the 1982 finals in Spain and later dazzled in 1990, celebrating goals with his trademark corner‑flag dance. He added a second World Cup goal in 1994 against Russia, but Cameroon exited after a 6‑1 loss. In 2026, Ronaldo edged Messi’s record, who scored at 38 years and 363 days versus Austria.

Other contenders for the record include Bosnia‑Herzegovina’s Edin Džeko and Croatia’s Luka Modrić, both 40, plus Japan’s Yuto Nagamoto, who is nine months older than Messi but yet to appear. Goalkeepers such as Manuel Neuer, Vozinha and Fernando Muslera have never scored in any of the 22 World Cups since 1930, keeping the record the hands of outfield players.