Making History at 41: Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes First Male Footballer to Play in Six World Cups

41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo was at the top of Portugal's 27-man squad for the 2026 World Cup announced by head coach Roberto Martinez on Tuesday, May 19. This tournament will bring a record never achieved by any male footballer in history: a sixth World Cup appearance. The Portuguese star, who plays for Al-Nassr, declared last year that this tournament would be the final big championship of his career: "This will definitely be my last World Cup because I will be 41 years old. The countdown has truly begun because I gave everything to football for 25 years."

The statistics alone make a legend: all-time leading goalscorer in men's international football (143 goals in 226 appearances, with 46 assists), the only male player to have scored in five different World Cups, 8 goals + 2 assists in World Cup finals, 5 Ballon d'Or wins, 2016 European Champion (Portugal's only major), and 2019 & 2025 Nations League winner. Ronaldo was sent off for an elbow in Portugal's qualifier against the Republic of Ireland and faced the risk of being banned for the first two group games. However, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, also taking into account that it was his first red card on national duty, suspended the final two games of the ban for a year — meaning Ronaldo will be on the pitch for the opening match.

Portugal are in Group K: they face DR Congo (or Jamaica) in Houston on June 17, Uzbekistan on June 23, and Colombia on June 27. Preparation friendlies are scheduled against Chile on June 6 and Nigeria on June 10. The Roberto Martinez-led side enters the tournament with the ambition of capturing "the only trophy missing from the country's history" following their recent UEFA Nations League title. The squad is stacked with stars: Vitinha (PSG), Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes, Bruno Fernandes (Man United), and Bernardo Silva (Man City) — widely regarded as the strongest Portuguese squad in a decade.

The debate around his Saudi Arabia era is Ronaldo's biggest test. Concerns about a "form drop" that began when he left European football for Al-Nassr in late 2022 have been largely dispelled by his continued goalscoring with the national team (including a goal against Spain in the 2025 Nations League final) and his recent feat of reaching 100 Saudi Pro League goals in just 105 appearances. Hitting his 100th Saudi Pro League goal in early May, Ronaldo is now chasing Al-Nassr's first league title since 2019. His coach Roberto Martinez describes the player's physical condition as "exceptional."

Another dimension to this tournament is the symbolic meaning drawn from football's greatest-ever rivalry: Ronaldo and his old foe Lionel Messi (38, defending champion Argentina) are both likely playing their last World Cups. The possibility of the two icons meeting in a semi-final or final — particularly if Portugal and Argentina start the tournament in different halves — could be one of football history's final poetic possibilities. The 41-year-old Portuguese legend's final curtain rises in Houston on June 17.

Source: Based on reports from World Soccer Talk, WION News, Athlon Sports, FOX Sports and Sports Mole on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal's 2026 World Cup squad.