Historic records that could be broken at the 2026 World Cup

Historic records that could be broken at the 2026 World Cup The FIFA World Cup 2026™ promises to be historic, not only because of its new expanded format, but also because of the number of all-time records that could be broken. Active legends are just a few steps away from rewriting the record books of football’s biggest tournament. Check out 12 records, compiled by FIFA, that are up for grabs in North America! 1. Oldest coach in history The current record belongs to Germany’s Otto Rehhagel, who managed Greece in 2010 at the age of 71. The candidate to break the mark is 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek. The coach took charge of the Czech Republic at the end of 2025, leading the country to World Cup qualification after 20 years away. If nothing unexpected happens, he will become the oldest coach of all time. Belgium’s Hugo Broos, of South Africa, will also be 74 during the tournament, but he is a few months younger than Koubek. 2. Oldest player to score in a knockout match The current mark belongs to Pepe, who scored for Portugal at the age of 39. The main candidates to beat that number are Cristiano Ronaldo (41), Luka Modric (40), and Edin Dzeko (40). Despite being legends for their national teams, Cristiano Ronaldo and Modric have never scored in a World Cup knockout stage. 3. Most wins as a player The current record-holder is Miroslav Klose, with 17 wins for Germany. The leading candidate is Lionel Messi, who has 16 wins. Just one victory away from the record, the Argentine star has the chance to overtake the German as early as the group stage, where Argentina will face Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. 4. Top scorer in World Cup history Another category led by Miroslav Klose, with 16 goals. The candidates to surpass him are Lionel Messi (13 goals) and Kylian Mbappé (12 goals). Mbappé is the biggest long-term threat, having scored 11 times in his last 11 World Cup matches. Messi, meanwhile, would need three more goals to tie Klose and four to take sole possession of the top spot. 5. Most World Cup editions played The record of five editions is shared by Antonio Carbajal, Andrés Guardado, Rafa Márquez, Lothar Matthäus, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. As the last two are on course for a sixth appearance, if they take the field in 2026, the two stars will stand alone as the only players in history to play in six World Cups. 6. Most goals from outside the box The record belongs to the legendary Rivelino, who scored 5 goals for Brazil in that fashion. His famous left-footed strike (“Atomic Kick”) accounted for five of his six World Cup goals from outside the area. The candidate to break the mark is Lionel Messi, who has already scored 4 long-range goals and is just one away from equaling the Brazilian legend. 7. Youngest winner of the Golden Ball Ronaldo Nazário has held the record since 1998, when he was named the tournament’s Best Player at the age of 21. The main candidate to surpass the Brazilian is Spain’s 18-year-old star Lamine Yamal. Other young talents like the Spaniard will arrive at the World Cup old enough to break the mark, but none carry the same weight as the Barça star. 8. Most matches as a coach Helmut Schön is the all-time record-holder with 25 matches in charge of Germany. The candidate to overtake him is Didier Deschamps, who has 19 matches with France. The coach needs to reach the quarterfinals in 2026 to tie Schön, and the semifinals to set the new record. 9. Most finals played as a player Brazil’s Cafu leads with three finals played (1994, 1998, and 2002). The candidates to equal the record are Lionel Messi (who appeared in 2014 and 2022) and Kylian Mbappé (2018 and 2022). If Argentina or France reach the final in North America, one of the two will draw level with the former right-back, captain of Brazil’s fifth World Cup-winning team. 10. Most clean sheets Peter Shilton and Fabien Barthez share the record with 10 matches each. The candidate to break the mark is Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who already has 7 clean sheets. He will have a great chance to add to that number in Group G, where he will face Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. 11. Hat-tricks in the most different editions The current record belongs to Gabriel Batistuta, the only player in history to score three goals in the same match in two different World Cups (1994 and 1998). The candidates for the feat are Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Gonçalo Ramos, and Cristiano Ronaldo. All of them already have a hat-trick in previous World Cups and are looking to repeat the feat to draw level with the Argentine. 12. Most matches as a substitute Brazil’s Denílson, now a Globo commentator, holds the record with 11 appearances off the bench for Brazil. The main candidate is Marcus Rashford, with 9 matches. The Englishman is often a regular second-half option for England and needs to come on as a substitute in three matches to surpass Denílson. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.