Oldest players in World Cup history including Qatar 2022 tournament

Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is never more comfortable than under the demanding bright lights and pressure of a huge game for club or country.

Ronaldo's bulging domestic trophy cabinet finally welcomed a major international prize in 2016, after his beloved Portugal clinched their first European Championship title.

However, despite boasting a squad packed with world-class talent, Fernando Santos' side had to navigate a playoff to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

MORE: Which teams have qualified to Qatar 2022? Full list of all 32 nations

Ronaldo and Santos avoided a meeting with defending European champions Italy, but instead faced the Azzurri's shock conquerors, North Macedonia, in a winner-take-all clash, with 37-year-old Ronaldo and his teammates eventually coming through unscathed.

Ronaldo, amid the furore back in Manchester around his interview with Piers Morgan, is now playing at the World Cup for a fifth time.

Who are the oldest players in World Cup history?

By appearing at the 2022 tournament, Ronaldo joined an exclusive list of stars to feature in five finals.

That group includes Mexico icons Rafael Marquez and Antonio Carbajal, as well as Germany legend Lothar Matthaus and, inevitably, Ronaldo's contemporary rival Lionel Messi, who is in the Argentina squad for Qatar 2022.

However, despite turning 37 in February, Ronaldo's push to become the oldest player to feature at a World Cup will not happen in Qatar.

As things stand, he would not even make it into the top 15th on the list of the oldest appearance-makers at the finals, as per Goal.com.

Ronaldo's age on the opening day of the tournament was 37 years, nine months and 16 days.

Who will be the oldest players at World Cup 2022?

Ronaldo (37) and Messi (35) are two of the oldest players at Qatar 2022, but they are the only elder statesmen looking to make an impact in the Middle East.

The tournament could also mark the last stand for some other stellar names, with several big stars making what could be their final World Cup appearance.

Here are the veterans who have featured in their national squad alongside Ronaldo and Messi in Qatar, although not all made it onto the pitch.

Which players have played in the most World Cups? 

Appearing at a World Cup is arguably the high point of a player's career, but some have had the good fortune to make several finals.

Five World Cup selections is the current benchmark ahead of Qatar 2022, with Ronaldo and Messi joining that illustrious group.

They are among a group of 58 players to have appeared in four tournaments, having both featured at the World Cup every four years from 2006-2018.

*Buffon was named in Italy's 1998 squad but did not play a match at the finals.