Ronaldo Chases 1,000 Goals and World Cup Scoring Record, But Milla’s Oldest Scorer Mark Remains Out of Reach

The Portugal captain, 41, could surpass Pepe for second place on the oldest World Cup goalscorers list, but Roger Milla’s record of 42 years and 39 days will survive until at least 2030.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to chase football immortality at the 2026 World Cup, edging ever closer to the extraordinary milestone of 1,000 career goals. Yet even if he shines in North America, one record will remain beyond his reach: becoming the oldest goalscorer in the history of the tournament.

Already appearing at his sixth World Cup, Ronaldo enters the competition at 41 years of age as the figurehead of a Portugal side widely considered one of the contenders for the trophy. The record for the oldest player to score at a World Cup still belongs to Cameroon legend Roger Milla, who found the net against Russia at USA 1994 aged 42 years and 39 days.

That mark will survive another tournament. Currently, the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history is former Portugal defender Pepe, who scored against Switzerland at Qatar 2022 aged 39 years and 283 days. Ronaldo sits third after his goal against Ghana in the same tournament, when he was 37 years and 292 days old.

Should Ronaldo score in North America this summer, he would leapfrog his former teammate and move into second place on the all-time list. If he scores during the group stage, he would do so at 41 years, 4 months and 10 days against DR Congo, 41 years, 4 months and 16 days against Uzbekistan, or 41 years, 4 months and 21 days against Colombia. Even if Portugal were to reach the final and Ronaldo scored on 19 July, he would be 41 years, 5 months and 11 days old, still several months short of Milla’s historic mark.

Milla’s record would remain out of reach until at least the 2030 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco. By then, Ronaldo would be 45 years old, making a potential challenge feasible if he continues playing.

According to a report by Accra Street Journal, there is also competition for second place. Croatia captain Luka Modric, Bosnia star Edin Dzeko and Japan veteran Yuto Nagatomo could all move above Pepe in the rankings if they find the net during the tournament.

Among the oldest players in the competition, goalkeepers dominate the list. Fernando Muslera, Manuel Neuer and Guillermo Ochoa all arrive in North America at 39 or 40. However, the most intriguing candidate is Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who, at 43, is the only player at the 2026 World Cup with a theoretical chance of surpassing Milla as the oldest goalscorer in tournament history.

For Ronaldo, the challenge is not to make history, but to climb even higher within it. And if he still harbours ambitions of claiming Milla’s record, he may need one final World Cup appearance on home soil in 2030.

Source: Accra Street Journal 

Last Updated on June 16, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.

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