So what if most teams are constantly on the hunt for the next wonderkid—the 18-year-old who will make a difference and become the face of the next decade? Iran is bucking the trend and has proven it beyond a doubt by making history!

Team Melli fielded the oldest starting lineup ever to appear in a World Cup! The average age of the eleven players who started was 32 years and 181 days, shattering a record that had seemed nearly unbreakable.

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Until now, the record had been held by Germany in 1998. The “Panzers” had fielded a starting lineup against Iran itself with an average age of 31 years and 334 days, a record that stood for 28 full years.

*photo source: AP