The Egyptian national football team lost their final match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, but one of its players managed to achieve an exceptional feat.

Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary made history on Monday after becoming the oldest player to ever compete in a World Cup match.

The 45-year-old stepped in for fellow goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who was nursing an injury, during Egypt's match against Saudi Arabia.

El Hadary not only broke a global record in the match but also made a number of impressive saves.

El Hadary has been representing Egypt internationally since 1996, but the Egypt-Saudi Arabia match actually marked his very first World Cup appearance. 

When he stepped into the field on Monday, El Hadary became the oldest person to ever partake in a World Cup match, breaking the previous record set by Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon when he competed at the 2014 World Cup at the age of 43.

Born in 1973, El Hadary is even older than the current World Cup trophy, which was first introduced in 1974.

"Thanks to God, this is a great achievement for Egypt more than [it is] for me personally. It's an achievement for all Egyptians," he told FIFA.

"What I accomplished in this tournament was the result of years of hard work, dedicated training and suffering that only a few know about," he added.

The match notably saw El Hadary save his team from a thunderous penalty shot by Saudi Arabia's Fahad Al Mulwallad.

"He also made a string of other saves between conceding two late goals, one in every half," according to FIFA.

The match ended with a 2-1 victory for Saudi Arabia, marking its first World Cup win since 1994. However, both teams have failed to qualify to the knockout stage of the tournament. 

A glimpse at El Hadary's career

Dubbed "The High Dam" in reference to Egypt's water-blocking barrier, El Hadary first made his international debut with Egypt in 1996. He has since represented his nation 152 times, according to Newsweek.

El Hadary has won the African Cup of Nations four times and has been named as the tournament's best goalkeeper three times.

After spending the largest portion of his club career with Al-Ahly club, he now plays for Saudi club Al-Taawoun and is the team's captain.