Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is set to become the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup after the 45-year-old was named in the team to face Saudi Arabia in Volgograd on Monday.
Egypt tweeted their team line-up including El Hadary, who will smash the record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was aged 43 years and three days when he played against Japan in Brazil in 2014.
45 years, 161 days.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 25, 2018
Egypt’s Essam El-Hadary becomes the oldest player ever to play at the #WorldCup 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/qgymtzWxTw
Oldest players at #WorldCup finals:
— Arka Bhattacharya (@Heilige_Kugel) June 25, 2018
Essam El-Hadary: 45 years 161 days, Egypt v Saudi Arabia, 2018
Faryd Mondragon: 43 y 3 d, Colombia 4 - 1 Japan, 2014
Roger Milla: 42 y 39 d, Cameroon 1 - 6 Russia, 1994 pic.twitter.com/hcxB03h1mO
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was also named in the starting line-up as Egypt go in search of a first-ever win in their third appearance at the World Cup finals.
Salah missed the opening 1-0 defeat against Uruguay after injuring his left shoulder in last month’s Champions League final. He scored a penalty in the 3-1 defeat to Russia.
El Hadary, who is 45 years and 161 days old and nicknamed “High Dam”, made his debut for Egypt in 1996 – a year before his Egyptian squad mate Ramadan Sobhy was born.
Both teams have only pride to play for, having both been eliminated from Group A, with Russia and Uruguay already guaranteed last-16 berths.
45y 161d - Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary (45y 161d) is older than three of the managers at the 2018 World Cup finals:
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 25, 2018
179 days older than Roberto Martínez
413 days older than Mladen Krstajic
1164 days older than Aliou Cissé#WorldCup #KSAEGY #EGY pic.twitter.com/zLX4bEbhQP
2y 158d - Essam El-Hadary (45y 161d) breaks the record for the oldest player to appear at a World Cup finals, with the Egyptian goalkeeper aged two years & 158 days older than Colombian Faryd Mondragón, who previously held the record. Golden.#KSAEGY #EGY #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/rewgRJGaWE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 25, 2018