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The 2022 FIFA World Cup is now a little over a week away. Several nations have announced their official squads for the tournament and football fans around the world are waiting with bated breath for the action to begin.
It's a dream for any footballer to play at the World Cup and we will see plenty of young footballers make their dreams come true this time. But on the other side of the spectrum, we will see a number of veterans playing in what is likely to be their final World Cup.
Suffice to say, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is going to be special for a raft of players for various reasons. Without further ado, let's take a look at the six oldest players at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
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(Age shown is as of November 20, 2022)
#6 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - 37 years, 9 months and 15 days
When he leads his team out in about a couple of weeks' time in Qatar, Cristiano Ronaldo will join an elite list of players who have played in five different World Cups.
Only Lothaur Matthaus, Antonio Carbajal and Rafael Marquez have had this distinction so far. Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon has been named in five different World Cup squads but has only played in four.
This is very likely to be Ronaldo's last World Cup as he goes into the quadrennial tournament as the leading goalscorer in men's international football (117). Ronaldo will lead the line for Portugal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and will hope to take the trophy home and, as they say, complete football.
#5 Thiago Silva (Brazil) - 38 years, 1 month and 29 days
Chelsea and Brazil veteran centre-back Thiago Silva will look to bring all his experience to the fore at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Despite being 38, Silva continues to be a dominant presence at the heart of defense for both club and country.
Silva, Marquinhos, Eder Militao and Gleison Bremer are Tite's options at centre-back in the tournament. As such, Silva is very likely to feature in the competition.
#4 Dani Alves (Brazil) - 39 years, 6 months and 14 days
Noticed why we didn't call Thiago Silva Brazil's oldest player at the World Cup? That distinction has been denied to him by legendary right-back Dani Alves. He is set to become the oldest Brazilian to ever feature in a FIFA World Cup.
The record was previously held by Djalma Santos, who played in the 1966 World Cup aged 37. Alves has participated in three World Cups but was not a part of the Selecao for the 2018 edition due to injury.
Fans were a little surprised with his selection as he currently plays for Liga MX club UNAM. But TIte believes that Alves could be an asset at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#3 Eiji Kawashima (Japan) - 39 years and 8 months
Veteran goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, who will turn 40 in March 2023, has been named in Japan's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. And why not? He has been Japan's first-choice goalkeeper for 12 years and did a pretty good job at the 2018 World Cup.
He became the oldest player to feature for Japan at the World Cup in the 2018 edition. Kawashima has now broken his own record and is very likely to guard the nets for the Japanese in Qatar.
#2 Pepe (Portugal) - 39 years, 8 months and 25 days
Portuguese centre-back Pepe has had an illustrious career for both club and country. He is an athletic marvel and continues to be one of Portugal's first-choice defenders at the age of 39. Pepe's experience on the big stage will be crucial for Portugal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Pepe was part of the Portugal team that won the UEFA Euros in 2016 and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. Winning the World Cup will be the icing on the cake in what has been a stellar career.
#1 Atiba Hutchinson (Canada) - 39 years, 9 months and 12 days
Atiba Hutchinson is the only member of the current Canada squad that existed when the men's team last qualified for a World Cup in 1986. He will be the oldest player to feature in the tournament and is likely to do so whilst sporting the captain's armband.
Hutchinson currently plays for Turkish club Besiktas and holds the record for most appearances on the international football stage for Canada (97 caps).
