With all 48 World Cup 2026 squads confirmed, we have run the numbers across every player and coach heading to North America. The data covers 1,248 players from 48 nations, with an average age of 27.0. Among them are seven players aged 40 or over, 55 veterans aged 35 and above, and 112 players aged 21 or younger, nearly one in ten of the entire field.
The age spread at this tournament runs from 17 to 43. Below is a full breakdown of who sits at every extreme, which squads are oldest and youngest, and what the coaching picture looks like across all 48 nations.
For full squad details, individual player data and tournament probabilities for every nation, visit the World Cup 2026 teams section.
The Oldest Player: Craig Gordon
Scotland · Goalkeeper
At 43 years and 162 days when the tournament kicks off on 11 June, Craig Gordon is the oldest player at the 2026 World Cup, and the second oldest in the competition's history. Only Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who was 45 years and 161 days at Russia 2018, was older. Gordon's presence in Scotland's squad means this tournament contains a remarkable club of players aged 40 and above. See Scotland's full squad and tournament projections.
The Over-40s Club
Seven players at this tournament are aged 40 or over, an extraordinary collection of longevity at the highest level.
| Player | Age | Position | Team | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Gordon | 43 | Goalkeeper | Scotland | C |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 41 | Attacker | Portugal | K |
| Guillermo Ochoa | 40 | Goalkeeper | Mexico | A |
| Luka Modric | 40 | Midfielder | Croatia | L |
| Edin Dzeko | 40 | Attacker | Bosnia & Herzegovina | B |
| Manuel Neuer | 40 | Goalkeeper | Germany | E |
| Vózinha | 40 | Goalkeeper | Cape Verde | H |
Four of the seven are goalkeepers, the position where longevity is most common. Modric is the only outfield player in the club alongside Ronaldo and Dzeko. Cristiano Ronaldo, Guillermo Ochoa and Lionel Messi (38) will each be attending their sixth World Cup in 2026, becoming the first players to achieve that feat.
The Youngest Player: Gilberto Mora
Mexico · Midfielder
Tijuana midfielder Gilberto Mora will be just 17 years and 240 days old when the tournament begins, the youngest player at the 2026 World Cup. If he appears in Mexico's Group A opener against South Africa, he would become the sixth-youngest player to feature in a World Cup match, alongside 17-year-olds Pelé, Samuel Eto'o and Norman Whiteside (who holds the record). Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa, also in this squad, had already been to a World Cup before Mora was born. See Mexico's full squad and tournament projections.
The Next Generation: 112 Players Aged 21 and Under
Beyond Mora, 111 further players at this tournament are aged 21 or younger, 8.9% of the entire 1,248-player field. The generation is spread across all regions and includes some of the most talked-about names in world football.
Spain's Lamine Yamal (18) is the standout from the tournament favourites, joined by Barça team-mate Pau Cubarsí (19). Ivory Coast, the youngest squad in the tournament overall, have 19-year-old Yan Diomandé and 20-year-old Bazoumana Touré as major contributors. Germany's Lennart Karl (18) had a breakout season at Bayern Munich and arrives as one of the most watched teenagers at the tournament.
Czech Republic's Hugo Sochurek is listed as 17 in squad data but turns 18 on 8 June, three days before the opening fixture, placing him just above Mora on age at tournament start.
Oldest and Youngest Squads
The gap between the oldest and youngest squad averages spans more than four years, from Iran and Panama at 29.4 to Ivory Coast at 24.9.
10 Oldest Squads
| Team | Avg Age | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Iran | 29.4 | G |
| Panama | 29.4 | L |
| Colombia | 29.2 | K |
| Cape Verde | 28.7 | H |
| Qatar | 28.5 | B |
| Brazil | 28.3 | C |
| Scotland | 28.3 | C |
| DR Congo | 28.2 | K |
| Argentina | 28.0 | J |
| Egypt | 28.0 | G |
10 Youngest Squads
| Team | Avg Age | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 24.9 | E |
| Ecuador | 25.1 | E |
| Morocco | 25.5 | C |
| Spain | 25.7 | H |
| Tunisia | 25.7 | F |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 25.8 | B |
| South Africa | 25.8 | A |
| Norway | 25.9 | I |
| Algeria | 26.0 | J |
| Canada | 26.0 | B |
The most striking entry in the youngest table is Spain at 25.7, the tournament favourites and holders of the highest semi-final probability in our model (45.8%) have one of the youngest squads in the field. Youth and tournament quality are not in conflict here. Argentina, reigning champions, sit at the other end at 28.0 with a squad that includes 17 players retained from their 2022 winning group, a deliberate continuity play from Lionel Scaloni.
The Coaches: 38 to 78, One Month to 13 Years
The coaching picture at this tournament spans a 40-year age gap and a tenure range from weeks to over a decade.
Youngest and Oldest Coaches
Germany · Head Coach
At 38, Julian Nagelsmann is the youngest head coach at this World Cup, younger than several of his own players, including Manuel Neuer (40). He is the second youngest person ever to manage a side at a World Cup. Managing Germany's youngest squad in decades, Nagelsmann arrived in September 2023 following Hansi Flick's departure and has since built a team around a new generation. See Germany's full squad and tournament projections.
At the other extreme, Dick Advocaat of Curaçao is 78 years old, making the age gap between the youngest and oldest coach at this tournament an extraordinary 40 years. Advocaat, a former PSV and Rangers manager, arrives having guided Curaçao to their first World Cup.
Other notable coaching ages: Marcelo Bielsa (Uruguay) is 70, Carlos Queiroz (Ghana) is 72, and Vahid Halilhodžić (Morocco) is listed at 73 in our data. Also of note, Fabio Cannavaro, Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain, is now managing Uzbekistan at 52 on what will be their debut appearance.
Coach Tenure: The Marathon and the Sprint
France · Head Coach
Didier Deschamps has been France's manager since July 2012, 13 years and counting. He is by far the longest-serving coach at this tournament; the next longest, Croatia's Zlatko Dalić, has been in charge for 8 years. Deschamps has managed France across three World Cups: reaching the final in 2014, winning it in 2018 and finishing as runner-up in 2022. He arrives in 2026 with one objective still outstanding. See France's full squad and tournament projections.
The five longest-serving coaches at this tournament:
| Coach | Team | In Charge Since | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Didier Deschamps | France | July 2012 | 13 years |
| Zlatko Dalić | Croatia | October 2017 | 8 years |
| Lionel Scaloni | Argentina | August 2018 | 7 years |
| Hajime Moriyasu | Japan | August 2018 | 7 years |
| Steve Clarke | Scotland | May 2019 | 7 years |
At the other end, five coaches arrive having been in charge for five months or fewer:
| Coach | Team | In Charge Since | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giorgios Donis | Saudi Arabia | May 2026 | 1 month |
| Hugo Broos | South Africa | May 2026 | 1 month |
| Carlos Queiroz | Ghana | April 2026 | 2 months |
| Sabri Lamouchi | Tunisia | January 2026 | 5 months |
| Fabio Cannavaro | Uzbekistan | January 2026 | 5 months |
Saudi Arabia's Donis has had just over a month to prepare. For context, Deschamps has managed more international games with France than Donis has had days in charge.
By the Numbers
players at this tournament are based in England at club level — more than any other country. Germany (109) and France (86) follow.
players Manchester City have at this tournament, spread across 12 different nations, making them the best-represented club. Bayern Munich (18), Arsenal (16) and PSG (16) follow.
World Cup winners are in these squads. Neuer won with Germany in 2014. Mbappé, Dembélé and Kanté won with France in 2018. Scaloni retained 17 of the Argentina players who won in Qatar in 2022, including Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernández and Emiliano Martínez.
World Cups for Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa — the first players in history to attend six editions of the tournament.
Spain is the only squad at this tournament made up entirely of players from Europe's top five leagues. Every other squad has at least one player based outside the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A or Ligue 1.
For complete squad listings, model predictions and fixture analysis for all 48 nations, see the full World Cup 2026 teams section.
Data correct at time of publication. Ages correct at tournament start date (11 June 2026). Coaching tenure calculated to 11 June 2026.
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