Who is the oldest player to have won a FIFA World Cup?

Dino Zoff is the oldest player to have won a FIFA World Cup, lifting the trophy with Italy at the age of 40 in 1982. He captained Italy in the final, where the Azzurri defeated West Germany 3–1 at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Zoff was born on 28 February 1942 and was 40 years and 133 days old when he played in the final on 11 July 1982. His achievement is especially notable because he was a goalkeeper and team captain, making his leadership central to Italy’s tournament success. He also produced a vital late save against Brazil in the second round.

This record is easy to confuse with the record for the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup. That separate record belongs to Egypt’s Essam El-Hadary, who played at age 45 in 2018. Zoff’s record concerns a tournament winner, not simply any participant.

Zoff also became the oldest player to appear in and win a World Cup final. He remains the only Italian footballer to have won both the World Cup and the European Championship as a player.