There is always one player who gets the honor of being the oldest in the competition, and at the 2026 World Cup that role belongs to Craig Gordon, who is set to put his name in the record books at the highest level of the sport with Scotland.
The goalkeeper named in Scotland’s final 26-man squad is 43 years old, having been born on December 31, 1982, in Edinburgh. Gordon wears number 21 and is not expected to start, with Angus Gunn likely to get the nod between the posts.
His career includes spells at Cowdenbeath, Sunderland, and Celtic, but Gordon started and currently plays for Heart of Midlothian, the club that has recently come close to breaking the “Old Firm” dominance in Scotland.
Gordon was essential in the recent playoff matches for Scotland (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Gordon’s career
For a player who made his professional debut in 2002, it is normal to see such a large number of matches. His club career totals 682 matches, with 84 more appearances for Scotland.
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Unlike older players who still play a major role on the pitch for their teams at the moment, Gordon has not been very active recently and has played only three matches, mostly as a backup.
Gordon was called up for this competition by manager Steve Clarke because of the trust he has in him. He was chosen as the first option after an injury to Gunn for Scotland’s most important matches of the year, including the playoff games in which they beat Greece and Denmark.
Record for oldest player ever
Even if Gordon does not play this time, he would still not break the all-time record for the oldest player in World Cup history if he enters the field. That record belongs to Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who played at 45 years and 161 days old on June 25, 2018.
