Guinness lists Ezzeldin Bahader as the oldest male football player at 74 years and 125 days, while Kazuyoshi Miura holds a different longevity claim

There is no single record covering every organized, amateur and recreational match. Under the current Guinness categories, the clearest answer for men is Ezzeldin Bahader. Guinness World Records lists the Egyptian as the oldest male football player, aged 74 years and 125 days when his record was verified at 6th October Club in Cairo on March 7, 2020. He also scored a penalty in the match, according to the Guinness record page.

That is different from asking for the oldest active professional, the oldest woman in competitive football or the oldest player in a major tournament.

The records use different eligibility rules

Each number measures age, but the comparison set changes. Guinness describes Carol Askew as the oldest competitive female football player, for example, but notes that she played in an age-restricted league. Its separate female record for non-age-restricted competition used different criteria.

This is the main limitation of any “oldest player” statistic: change which matches and players are eligible, and the answer can change.

Why Bahader’s record is unusual

Bahader was not reaching the end of a decades-long professional career. He had played amateur football but worked as a civil engineering consultant and land-cultivation expert before the Egyptian FA registered him in January 2020, according to BBC Sport’s account.

He completed 90 minutes and converted a penalty on his debut for 6th October Club. Guinness required two full matches for recognition, so he needed another appearance after that record-setting game. The COVID-19 suspension delayed the second match until October 17, when he again played the full game. FIFA subsequently described him as the oldest professional footballer to play an official match.

Bahader’s figure is therefore an age-at-appearance record. It does not mean he had the longest career or made the most senior appearances. Those are different measures of longevity, just as an all-time appearance table answers a different question from an age record.

Why Kazuyoshi Miura is a different answer

For someone asking which established professional was still playing in 2026, the answer was Kazuyoshi Miura.

The Japanese forward scored for third-tier Fukushima United in the Emperor’s Cup in July 2026, aged 59. It was his first competitive goal since 2022. Miura began his professional career with Santos in Brazil in 1986 and extended his Fukushima loan through June 2027, taking his career into a 42nd season, according to BBC Sport. Reuters also reported that his June 2026 league appearance, at 59 years, three months and 12 days, extended his record as the oldest player to appear in a professional league match.

Miura’s claim reflects sustained career longevity. Bahader’s Guinness mark reflects the greatest verified age in its male record category. Calling either man simply “the oldest footballer” hides that distinction.

Oldest players in major competitions

At the men’s World Cup, the record belongs to Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary. He started against Saudi Arabia on June 25, 2018, aged 45 years and 161 days, and saved a penalty during Egypt’s 2–1 defeat. FIFA’s record list places him ahead of Colombia’s Faryd Mondragon, who played at 43 years and three days in 2014.

The UEFA Champions League record is Marco Ballotta’s. The Lazio goalkeeper was 43 years and 252 days old against Real Madrid in December 2007. UEFA lists Ballotta as the overall record holder and Pepe, aged 41 years and 15 days, as the oldest outfield player.

So the concise answer is: Bahader holds Guinness’s male age record at 74 years and 125 days; Miura was the oldest active professional reported in 2026. For any broader claim, the competition and eligibility rules must be stated alongside the age.