The Oldest Squads at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Iran and Panama have the oldest squads at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, a 2026 report finds. A new study by the football predictions platform The Daily Punt reveals which national teams are leaning more on veterans’ experience.

Panama fields the oldest squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the average player past 30.
Scotland's Craig Gordon, 43, is the oldest player at the tournament, on a team where the youngest is just 19.
Cape Verde's Instagram-famous Vozinha is 40 years old, representing a nation that is making its first-ever World Cup appearance.

The research looked at all 48 national teams taking part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, using Transfermarkt as the main data source. For each squad, the study recorded the average age of all players selected, as well as the youngest and oldest players on the roster. The report also tracked how many times each country has participated in previous World Cups, and the total and average market value of each squad. Teams were ranked from oldest to youngest based on their mean squad age.

Here's a look at the 10 oldest national squads at the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

Country	Mean Age	Youngest player	Youngest age	Oldest player	Oldest age	Min/max age diff.	Market Value(€M)
Panama	30.5	Edgardo Fariña	24	Alberto Quintero	38	14.0	1.33
Iran	30.4	Amirmohammad Razzaghinia	20	Shoja Khalilzadeh	37	17.0	1.23
Colombia	30.1	Gustavo Puerta	22	David Ospina	37	15.0	11.63
Cape Verde	29.7	Wagner Pina	23	Vozinha	40	17.0	2.1
Qatar	29.5	Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid	20	Lucas Mendes	35	15.0	766
Brazil	29.4	Rayan	19	Weverton	38	19.0	35.7
Scotland	29.3	Tyler Fletcher	19	Craig Gordon	43	24.0	6.55
Argentina	29.2	Nico Paz	21	Lionel Messi	38	17.0	31.06
Democratic Republic of the Congo	29.1	Matthieu Epolo	21	Cédric Bakambu	35	14.0	5.53
Paraguay	29.1	Alexandro Maidana	20	Roberto Fernández	38	18.0	5.91

You can access the complete research findings here.

1. Panama

Mean squad age: 30.5
World Cup appearances: 2
Youngest player: Edgardo Fariña, 24
Oldest player: Alberto Quintero, 38
Players based abroad: 92.3%
Squad market value: €34.55M

Panama comes to this World Cup with the oldest squad in the entire tournament. Every single player on the roster is at least 24, and the average age across the group sits at 30.5, higher than any other nation. The team has only made two World Cup appearances in its history, so this is a group of experienced players chasing a major moment relatively late in their careers.

2. Iran

Iran's squad averages 30.4 years, making them the second-oldest team at the tournament. Their oldest player, Shoja Khalilzadeh, is 37, while the youngest, Amirmohammad Razzaghinia, is just 20. Iran has played at seven World Cups in total, so their senior players already have solid big-tournament experience. The squad is also relatively homegrown, with just over a third of players competing outside Iran's domestic league.

3. Colombia

Colombia's squad comes third, with an average age of 30.1. Their oldest player is goalkeeper David Ospina at 37, while the youngest is 22-year-old Gustavo Puerta. Unlike Iran, 96% of the Colombian footballers play in leagues outside the country, which is one of the highest rates among the squads competing at the 2026 tournament. Their team also has a much higher price tag, valued at over €302M.

4. Cape Verde

Next is Cape Verde with an average age of 29.7. The oldest player there is the Instagram-famous goalkeeper Vozinha, who is 40, making him one of the oldest players at the entire tournament. The island nation is making its first-ever World Cup appearance after a long wait, and its squad is made up entirely of players from foreign leagues.

5. Qatar

Qatar rounds out the top five with an average age of 29.5. The host nation for the 2022 World Cup is making its second-ever appearance, and its squad profile looks very different from most other countries at the tournament. Only 3.8% of Qatar's players compete abroad, so their squad is built almost exclusively from domestic football. The youngest player is 20-year-old Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, and the oldest is 35-year-old Lucas Mendes, with a total squad value of just under €20M.