- Roger Milla wrote his name 26 years ago in the history of the FIFA World Cup ™
- At Cameroon’s meeting with Russia in the United States in 1994, more than one record was broken
- Milla told FIFA.com about this game and thought about his incredible career
When he faced Russia in his team’s last group match at the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA ™ at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Tuesday, June 28, Cameroonian Roger Milla only needed a minute to enter the annals of football history .
With the Africans 3-0 down at half-time on a hat-trick by Oleg Salenko, Cameroon’s French coach Henri Michel decided to sign his experienced striker, who at the time was the oldest player to have ever played in a World Cup game (a Record that has since been beaten, first by Faryd Mondragon from Colombia near Brazil in 2014 and then from Essam El Hadary from Egypt near Russia in 2018).
The evergreen Milla didn’t stop there. Within a minute of his move, he picked up the ball on the edge of the box, stopped the challenge from Dmitriy Khlestov and shot past Stanislas Cherchesov home. It was a goal that gave him another record – the oldest goal scorer in a World Cup game, an award he still has today. On the 24th anniversary of a remarkable game that ended in a 6-1 win for the Russians, FIFA.com spoke to the legendary Cameroonian.
FIFA.com: You played against Russia 26 years ago today and you were the oldest player to score in a World Cup match. How did you feel back then?
Roger Milla: Very, very pleased, as you could see at my celebration, even though we lost the match. I’m still very proud of it today. In my opinion, this goal and this record showed people who doubted me that despite my age, I still had it inside me. I wasn’t 100 percent physically, but I still had my technique. It’s a nice record.
Is this goal what you are most proud of in your career?
No, I do not think so. It’s a nice individual achievement, but nothing has made me happier than helping Cameroon reach the World Cup quarter-finals in 1990. That was historical for our country and our continent.
When you arrived at the World Cup in the United States, did you have these records in mind?
I don’t think of individual performances at all when I go onto the field, and even less before a competition. The idea of beating this record never even occurred to me. If I score and we don’t win, I’m just as disappointed as my teammates. We all wanted to do better than in 1990, but unfortunately we didn’t make it.
Where do you rank your record among all the big World Cup records?
Each record has its own story. I couldn’t put one in front of the other. Each of these players shaped the World Cup in their own way. As a goal scorer, I can of course identify with the records of [Miroslav] Klose and Just Fontaine, but I couldn’t place them. My record is just one of many. For me, the only record that really stands out is that of ‘King’ Pele with its three world championships. Words cannot describe what he achieved at such a young age.
Do you think your record will be hit one day?
Nothing is impossible, but it will be very difficult to beat. Football is a completely different sport nowadays and it’s really hard to see someone other than a goalkeeper reaching the age of 42. And as we all know, goalkeepers don’t hit very often. I think my record has a couple of good years ahead of it.
Oleg Salenko scored five goals that day, a record he still holds. Were you impressed by his performance?
You can only be impressed with such a performance, especially at a World Cup, although I have to say that we were involved. We weren’t good enough in this match. We both set records that day, so we had our photo taken together at the end of the game.
Historians are gathered in Stanford
What was left of that match at that time: the heavy defeat or your record?
It was a mixture of emotions because we were knocked out and so disappointed that we had not lived up to the expectations people had of us. I also knew that I played my last game at the World Cup and said goodbye to the competition. So I just tried to put it in perspective and get the most out of every moment. At the time, I didn’t think much about the record because the goal had little impact on the game. But over the years it has taken on its full meaning and I am very proud of it.
What about now Do you still feel the same way?
When I look back, I try to focus on the positive that is the record. I still have a few regrets because it was my last World Cup and I would have loved to go further and have ended better.
Let’s go back to Italy four years earlier when Cameroon became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Can you remember how you felt back then?
You couldn’t describe it. It was obviously a lot of joy. We were so happy and it gave us a real boost in confidence. We would have loved to go further because we really had what it takes to do more. I don’t want to get into a debate about the game in England, but when I look back now there are a few regrets. I am convinced that we could have gone all the way. We were greeted as heroes when we returned to Cameroon and then you realized that you had achieved something great.
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You have paved the way for other teams from Africa, but so far only Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 have achieved their performance. What does African football have to do to reach the last four?
Senegal and Ghana showed that it was possible. We are still way behind European football, so it will be difficult to get there, but I’m still optimistic. I have the feeling that the current generation of players sometimes lack the confidence and determination that we were then. We have to believe in ourselves if we want to do that at every World Cup.
Cameroon had Roger Milla and then Samuel Eto’o. Who will lead the indomitable lion in the years to come?
I have no idea. There is no one to stand out at the moment. It may be better because it allows us to really focus on the team. I don’t see anyone with my qualities at the moment. Samuel Eto’o also did some great things. We are unique players and there is nobody like us. We can only wait for Cameroon to shine in the future.
Can you see how Cameroon qualifies again for the World Cup quarter-finals and maybe goes even further?
I hope they do, but I know it will be difficult. These are achievements that can inspire future generations. If it is to happen, the well-known African players will have to play more for their national teams, which is not always the case.
Thanks to Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez, Africa plays a major role in the football world today. Do you think the continent has caught up with Europe and South America?
In terms of individual talent, the gap between African players and players from Europe and South America is constantly closing. I think we need to evolve at the team level, and it’s players like Mane and Salah who can bring their expertise to the table. They play for large clubs and know how to bring a team together to achieve a common goal. In a few years there will be no difference between us and them. Learning from our mistakes and working together are two things that will help us go further.
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