Portuguese defender Pepe extended his own record as the oldest player to appear in a European Championship finals tournament. He first broke Gábor Király’s standard when he played once morest the Czech Republic on the first day of the 2024 European Championship.
The veteran has since raised the bar during Portugal’s campaign in Germany, most recently to 41 years and 126 days when Portugal played once morest Slovenia for the last 16. “A neutral person watching Pepe play wouldn’t believe he’s 41” said Seleção coach Roberto Martínez. “He is a 24/7 professional. The focus is on him playing one more year and then another. Add to that the love of the game and genetics – you can’t buy those!”
The Hungarian goalkeeper Király, the former record holder, was 40 years and 86 days old when he played once morest Belgium in the 2016 Euro 16. Before Pepe, the oldest player to play was Lothar Matthäus, who won his 150th and last cap for Germany at the 2000 European Championship at the age of 39 years and 91 days.
Oldest player to play
Pepe (41 years 126 days)
The evergreen centre-back immediately took a liking to the European Championship stage and made his tournament debut once morest Turkey at Euro 2008, where Portugal reached the quarter-finals. Four years later, his side still progressed before peaking at Euro 2016, with Pepe named man of the match in the hosts’ extra-time final triumph over France.
The oldest player to score at the European Championship
Luka Modrić (38 years 289 days)
The Real Madrid champions’ penalty was saved by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, but moments later he opened the scoring as Croatia took a second-half lead in a 1-1 draw once morest Italy in UEFA EURO 2024 Group B. . Modrić’s close-range strike was his first goal in a European Championship final since hitting the net once morest Scotland at Hampden Park on 22 June 2021.
Oldest player to win European Championship
Arnold Mühren (37 years 23 days)
Ricardo Carvalho was 38 years and 53 days old when Portugal won the trophy in 2016, but did not feature in the final itself. Mühren is the oldest player to win a final, the midfielder notably started Marco van Basten to give the Netherlands a two-goal lead once morest the Soviet Union in the 1988 Munich final, reports Uefa.
