Qatar's 42-year-old striker set to break World Cup record

Sebastian Soria has been included in Qatar's preliminary squad, opening the door for him to become the oldest non-goalkeeper to play in World Cup history.

Sebastian Soria, a 42-year-old veteran striker for Qatar, has been named in coach Julen Lopetegui's preliminary 34-player squad for the World Cup 2026, which kicks off on 11/6. This list will later be narrowed down to a maximum of 26 players.

If Soria, who will turn 43 on 8/11, plays in the upcoming tournament, he will become the oldest outfield player to compete in World Cup history. The current record is held by Cameroonian legend Roger Milla, who played in the 1994 World Cup at 42 years and three days old.

The overall record for the oldest player to ever feature in a World Cup belongs to Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary. He played at 45 years and 161 days old in a match against Arab Saudi during the 2018 World Cup.

Another player who could potentially feature at World Cup 2026 is Scotland's 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon, provided he recovers from injury in time.

Striker Sebastian Soria celebrates a goal during a World Cup qualifier between Qatar and South Korea at Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon city, South Korea on 6/10/2016. Photo: AP

Striker Sebastian Soria celebrates a goal during a World Cup qualifier between Qatar and South Korea at Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon city, South Korea on 6/10/2016. Photo: AP

Born and raised in Paysandu, Uruguay, Soria moved to Qatar early in his career and later became a naturalized citizen. He won a gold medal at the 2006 Asiad with the Qatar U23 team before making his national team debut in 2007.

At the 2007 Asian Cup, Soria scored three goals, making him the only Qatari player to find the net in the tournament, including important goals against Japan, Vietnam, and UAE. He continued his scoring streak at the 2011 Asian Cup, netting a goal in the quarter-final loss to Japan with a score of 2-3.

Soria was nominated for the Asian Player of the Year award in 2008. He also holds the record for the fastest goal in AFC Champions League history, scoring after 9 seconds while playing for Lekhwiya SC in 2013.

Soria's international career appeared to have concluded in 2017, as he was not called up for the 2022 World Cup hosted in Qatar. However, the veteran striker was recalled last October and participated in Qatar's decisive World Cup qualification match.

In Qatar's 2-1 victory over UAE in Doha, Soria entered the game from the bench in the second half. Following the match, he wrote on Instagram: "Proud to once again wear the Al Anabi jersey and represent this wonderful country."

At World Cup 2026, Qatar is in Group B and will face Switzerland on 13/6, Canada on 18/6, and Bosnia-Herzegovina on 24/6.