Karimov & CR7 age difference record
At the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bekhruz Karimov (picture) set together a new record of the competition, as a pair of opponents with the largest age difference between them: 22 years and 183 days.
This occurred in the group stage game Portugal vs Uzbekistan (5-0) on 23 June.
The previous record stood from 28 June 1994 in the game Russia vs Cameroon (6-1) with Roger Milla and Vladimir Beschastnykh being separated by 21 years and 321 days. Now this pair moved down to the 4th position in the ranking since Cristiano Ronaldo’s pairs with two Spainish teenagers, Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi in the Round of 16 game Portugal vs Spain (0-1), took the 2nd and 3rd.
| WORLD CUP | LARGEST AGE | DIFFERENCE | |||
| BETWEEN | OPPONENTS | ||||
| Date | 23/06/2026 | 06/07/2026 | 06/07/2026 | ||
| Game | Portugal vs | Portugal vs | Portugal vs | ||
| Uzbekistan 5-0 | Spain 0-1 | Spain 0-1 | |||
| Age Difference | 22-183 | 22-158 | 21-351 | ||
| Older Rival | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo | ||
| Team | Portugal | Portugal | Portugal | ||
| Age | 41-138 | 41-151 | 41-151 | ||
| Younger Rival | Bekhruz Karimov | Lamine Yamal | Pau Cubarsí | ||
| Team | Uzbekistan | Spain | Spain | ||
| Age | 18-320 | 18-358 | 19-165 | ||
| Date | 28/06/1994 | 25/06/2018 | 01/07/2026 | ||
| Game | Russia vs | Saudi Arabia vs | Mexico vs | ||
| Cameroon 6-1 | Egypt 2-1 | Ecuador 2-0 | |||
| Age Difference | 21-316 | 21-272 | 21-198 | ||
| Older Rival | Roger Milla | Essam El Hadary | Hernán Galíndez | ||
| Team | Cameroon | Egypt | Ecuador | ||
| Age | 42-039 | 45-161 | 39-093 | ||
| Younger Rival | Vladimir Beschastnykh | Fahad Al-Muwallad | Gilberto Mora | ||
| Team | Russia | Saudi Arabia | Mexico | ||
| Age | 20-088 | 23-254 | 17-260 |