Old age often doesn’t sit well with the demands of sport, but some players can withstand the march of time better than others. Of course, Cristiano Ronaldo is defending quite a bit, but he is not yet in first place, owned by Finland’s Jari Litmanen, the oldest goalscorer in the history of EURO qualifying.
UEFA.com profiles the men who prove that age is just a state of mind when it comes to finding the net in international football.
Jari Litmanen, Finland (39 years, 270 days)
Finland – San Marino, 2010
The former AFC Ajax, FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC playmaker was nearly 40 when he scored in his last international appearance in UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying. Came on at the break as Finland led 1-0, Litmanen brought his team to life in the second half to give his country their biggest victory in international competition: an 8-0 victory over San Marino. He scored from the penalty spot, his 32nd goal in 137 selections, two records.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal (38 years, 49 days)
Luxembourg 0-6 Portugal2023
Those who thought Ronaldo would quietly step away from European football following moving from Manchester United to Saudi club Al-Nassr at the start of 2023 were wrong, as the Portuguese has never stopped scoring goals. The UEFA EURO 2016 and UEFA Nations League 2019 winner also has a dazzling record in European club football, including five Champions Leagues and seven league titles for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus Torino.
Lee CasciaroGibraltar (38 years, 16 days)
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia, 2019
Casciaro had just turned 38 when he scored his third international goal. He snuck in at the far post to confidently take over a low cross from Ethan Britto from the left, as Gibraltar came up from a two-goal deficit to briefly restore parity. The striker, who became the oldest player to take part in Euro qualifying in March 2023, has spent his entire career with the Lincoln Red Imps and can boast more than 50 trophies with the club. He also rose to prominence on the European stage when he scored the winning goal once morest Celtic in a UEFA Champions League qualifier in 2016.
Goran PandevNorth Macedonia (37 years, 109 days)
Georgia 0-1 North Macedonia2010
Some things had to happen. North Macedonia had never reached a finals, but they arrived in Tbilisi for this UEFA EURO 2020 play-off knowing that a victory would mark a turning point in history. The record holder for appearances and goals carried the nation on his shoulders and, inevitably, scored the winning goal in the 56the minute following a magnificent action led by Valerian Gvilia and Lasha Dvali. This is his last goal in selection, which allows him to put an end to his international career during the final phase. Pandev was a double domestic champion with Inter and Galatasaray, and a cup winner with Lazio and Napoli, but his greatest club success came when the Nerazzurri won the Champions League in 2010.
Ricardo CarvalhoPortugal (36 years, 316 days)
Portugal 2-1 Serbia, 2015
Carvalho opened the scoring with a powerful header from a Fábio Coentrão cross to earn Portugal an important victory in the group. It was the centre-back’s fifth and final goal for his country and his first international achievement in over seven years. The following summer, aged 38, he was the oldest outfield player at Euro 2016 and lifted the trophy to cap off a glittering career. At club level, Carvalho won the UEFA Cup and Champions League with Porto before winning eight trophies with Chelsea and two more with Real Madrid.