Luka Modric Becomes Oldest Player To Provide An Assist In FIFA World Cup Match

Published 27 June 2026 · sports

Luka Modric Becomes Oldest Player To Provide An Assist In FIFA World Cup Match Published By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 04:55 IST The 2018

Luka Modric Becomes Oldest Player To Provide An Assist In FIFA World Cup Match Published By, Last Updated: June 28, 2026, 04:55 IST The 2018 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner set up Nikola Vlašić's goal in the 83rd minute of Croatia's Group L clash against Ghana at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Luka Modric becomes oldest player to provide an assist in FIFA World Cup match. (Picture Credit: AP) Croatia legend Luka Modrić entered the record books on Saturday (Sunday IST) by becoming the oldest player to provide an assist in a FIFA World Cup match. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner set up Nikola Vlašić’s goal in the 83rd minute of Croatia’s Group L clash against Ghana at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Modrić, one of only four players to have made more than 200 international appearances, was 40 years and 291 days old on June 27, 2026. He broke the previous record held by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Edin Džeko.

40 – Aged 40y 291d today, Luka Modric has become the oldest player to provide an assist at the World Cup on Opta record (since 1966).Timeless. pic.twitter.com/Pv8S1W8br3 — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 27, 2026 Džeko had become the oldest player to register an assist in a FIFA World Cup match earlier in the ongoing 2026 edition, when he set up a goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina during their Group B match against Qatar at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 24. He was 40 years and 109 days old at the time. Oldest players to provide an assist in FIFA World Cup match PLAYER COUNTRY AGE AGAINST EDITION Luka Modric Croatia 40 years, 291 days Ghana 2026 Edin Džeko Bosnia and Herzegovina 40 years, 109 days Qatar 2026 Thiago Silva Brazil 38 years, 74 days South Korea 2022 Roger Milla Cameroon 38 years, 51 days England 1990 Fritz Walter West Germany 37 years, 236 days Northern Ireland 1958 The record for being the oldest goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history belongs to Roger Milla.

The Cameroonian legend was 42 years and 39 days old when he scored against Russia in a group-stage match at the FIFA World Cup 1994. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is in second place. He was 41 years and 138 days old when he scored a brace for Portugal in their match against Uzbekistan on June 23, 2026. Oldest goal scorers in FIFA World Cup PLAYER COUNTRY AGE AGAINST YEAR Roger Milla Cameroon 42 years, 39 days Russia 1994 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 41 years, 138 days Uzbekistan 2026 Pepe Portugal 39 years, 283 days Switzerland 2022 Lionel Messi Argentina 38 years, 363 days Austria 2026 Gunnar Gren Sweden 37 years, 236 days West Germany 1958 Cuauhtemoc Blanco Mexico 37 years, 151 days France 2010 Felipe Baloy Panama 37 years, 120 days England 2018 Marko Arnautovic Austria 37 years, 58 days Jordan 2026 Obdulio Varela Uruguay 36 years, 279 days England 1954 Martin Palermo Argentina 36 years, 227 days Greece 2010 The first goal against Uzbekistan in the sixth minute of that match also helped Ronaldo become the first and only player in the world to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.