&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "FIFA 2026 | Meet Craig Gordon - 43-year-old Scotland goalie defies death and paralysis risk to become oldest player at World Cup")
Craig Gordon was told he risked paralysis or death when he went in for a surgery. The 43-year-old Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper travelled to London in March to see spine specialist Usamah Jannoun, who laid out the dangers of the neck surgery he needed. Gordon went ahead with the procedure and is now in Charlotte, North Carolina, preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026. He will be the oldest player at the 2026 tournament and stands on the verge of becoming the second-oldest player in World Cup history. It is the latest chapter in a career that has been defined, above all else, by defying the odds.
Scotland's Gordon defies death risk to play at FIFA 2026
According to a BBC Scotland documentary, Icons of Football, Gordon's career has been about comebacks. He made his Scotland debut over 22 years ago, before several members of the current squad were even born. Yet through ankle issues, broken arms, a broken leg, multiple knee surgeries, and neck and shoulder problems, he has missed an estimated 1,975 days of football or roughly 200 games.
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The lowest point came in 2012, when patellar tendonitis kept him sidelined for two years. He sought help from experts across Europe, underwent three surgeries, and saw a psychologist after his then-club Sunderland questioned whether the pain was psychological. A surgeon then advised him to retire but the iron-willed goalkeeper refused.
"There are definitely times where I've cried because of injury," Gordon tells the BBC. "I just probably don't show it to everybody else." He adds that without the World Cup on the horizon, he would likely have walked away at the end of last season. The turning point came in November when a 4-2 victory over Denmark at Hampden sent Scotland to their first World Cup in 28 years. "One last effort. One last goal. And it's come off," he says.
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Scotland schedule in FIFA World Cup 2026
Scotland are in Group C alongside five-time world champions Brazil, Morocco, and Haiti, with their group fixtures split across two US host cities. They open against Haiti in Boston on 14 June, before facing Morocco in Boston again on 20 June, and rounding off the group stage against Brazil in Miami on 25 June. Gordon is in a goalkeeping battle with Angus Gunn for the starting jersey against Haiti. Scotland are back at the World Cup after a 28-year absence, with Steve Clarke's side attempting to reach the knockout stages for the first time in the country's history.
How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India
You can watch FIFA 2026 on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD). Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across the four channels with English and Hindi feeds. All games will also be streamed live on the Zee5 app and website.
Link: https://www.zee5.com/
