World Cup 2026 squads: Oldest, youngest, most expensive teams - where do England rank?

June 1, 2026 marked the official deadline for World Cup 2026 countries to name their final squads, although many nations had already unveiled their 26 representatives for the tournament in the preceding weeks.

Now that the Champions League final has been and gone, the focus is purely on the new-look 48-team competition in the USA, Mexico and Canada, which hopefuls will soon begin preparations for with a series of summer friendlies.

Players born in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s will be locking horns with one another for the chance to lift the ultimate prize, but which squads are already topping some of the statistical charts?

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the confirmed 2026 World Cup squads - including the oldest, youngest and most expensive teams in North America.

Which country has the oldest World Cup squad?

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Of all the nations to announce a final World Cup squad, Panama's group is the oldest, as the Group L contenders' average age comes in at 30.4 years.

Thirteen of Panama's World Cup 2026 players are aged 30 or above, the oldest being 140-cap midfielder Alberto Quintero (38), followed by 36-year-old captain Anibal Godoy and 35-year-olds Luis Meija, Eric Davis and Cecilio Waterman.

Panama's squad is one of two with an average age of 30+, as Colombia are a close second at 30.10, driven by veterans David Ospina, Camilo Vargas and James Rodriguez.

Tournament debutants Cape Verde (29.61), Brazil (29.18) and Scotland (29.18) complete the top five.

Who is the oldest player at the World Cup?

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The oldest player at the 2026 World Cup will be Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who will be 43 years old at the time of the tournament.

Born on New Year's Eve 1982, Gordon represents Hearts in the Scottish Premiership and made his Scotland debut all the way back in May 2004.

However, Gordon will not break the record for the oldest player at a men's World Cup, as Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary was 45 at the 2018 edition.

Which country has the youngest World Cup squad?

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South American representatives Ecuador boast the youngest World Cup 2026 squad on average at 25.65 years old, thanks to the inclusion of 12 players aged under 25.

El Tri are taking just three 30+ players to the global gathering - the oldest being 39-year-old goalkeeper Hernan Galindez - while 19-year-old Kendry Paez is their most juvenile squad member.

Ivory Coast - who also have one 19-year-old in their ranks in Yan Diomande - are the only other World Cup 2026 nation to have an average age below 26.

Who is the youngest player at the World Cup?

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The youngest player called up for the 2026 World Cup is Mexico midfielder Gilberto Mora, who was born in October 2008 and is set to be the only 17-year-old at the tournament.

Mora - who represents Liga MX club Tijuana - has already won seven caps for Mexico, and the teenager has been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Mora will not be the youngest WC player of all time, though, as Norman Whiteside was just 17 years and 41 days when he represented Northern Ireland in 1982.

Where do England rank in average World Cup squad ages?

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England's average World Cup squad age is 27.47, putting the Three Lions on the younger end of the experience scale with the 29th-oldest selection.

Thirty-five-year-old Jordan Henderson is the oldest player in Thomas Tuchel's ranks, while 21-year-old Kobbie Mainoo is the youngest, born just one month after Nico O'Reilly.

Which country has the most expensive World Cup squad?

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Based on Transfermarkt valuations, France have the most valuable World Cup squad, coming in at a staggering £1.28bn.

Kylian Mbappe unsurprisingly tops the price list at £173.1m, followed by Michael Olise (£129.8m) and Ousmane Dembele (£86.6m).

Despite the omissions of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold, England boast the second-most expensive WC squad at £1.13bn, followed by Spain, Germany and Portugal.