Roger Milla is the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history. The Cameroon hitman was 42 years and 39 days when he scored against Russia at USA 1994, breaking the record he himself had set four years earlier.
The 1976 African Footballer of the Year had retired from international football in 1988. A month before Cameroon’s squad for Italy 1990 was named, however, the country’s president was wowed by Milla’s performance in a charity game in Douala. First Paul Biya persuaded Milla, who was against the idea, of going to the global finals. Then he convinced coach Valery Nepomnyashchy, who was also against it, to take him.
Milla duly scored four goals, at an average of one every 59 minutes, to help Cameroon come close to becoming the first African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Four years later, he was sent on at half-time in the Indomitable Lions’ last group game. Just 64 seconds later, Milla struck his history-enhancing goal past Russia goalkeeper Stanislav Cherchesov.
Milla is followed on the oldest marksmen in World Cup history by Portugal pair Pepe (39 years old) and Cristiano Ronaldo (37), Sweden’s Gunnar Gren (37) and Mexico’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco (37).
Oldest goalscorers in World Cup history
The old lion and the cub
Milla on World Cup records, Spike Lee and “electric” USA
