Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the most influential figures in world football. With over 20 years of experience, the Portuguese player has enjoyed a career filled with titles, goals and historic moments, making him one of the greatest players of all time.
Since making his debut with Sporting Lisbon in 2002, CR7 has left his mark on every club he has played for, and above all on the Portuguese national team.
President Trump says Cristiano Ronaldo has ‘more respect now’ after attending White House dinner
The striker’s influence on the national team was decisive. Before his arrival, Portugal had qualified for the World Cup just three times. Since his arrival, the country has participated in six consecutive competitions, winning the European Championship (2016) and two UEFA Nations Leagues (2019 and 2025). With his appearance, the history of Portuguese football changed forever.
The 2026 World Cup will be his last chance to lift the trophy.
The upcoming World Cup, to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, looks set to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last great chance to win the World Cup, the trophy he has been missing out on. While his detractors rightly point out this absence, the truth is that his presence in the tournament already shows the variety of records he can break.
One of them is to become the oldest player to win a World Cup. If Portugal win the title and Ronaldo makes it to the tournament, he will be lifting the cup at the age of 41, surpassing the age of 1982 Spanish champion Dino Zoff, who was 40 years old. This is a record that was previously thought to be impossible to achieve.
CR7 aims to become first player to play in six World Cups
Another historic milestone is within reach: becoming the first footballer to appear in six World Cups. In just one second on the pitch, Ronaldo will go down in the record books. Lionel Messi could match that figure if he plays, marking the next chapter in the eternal rivalry.
In terms of number of appearances, the Portuguese is in fifth place with 22 appearances. They could move into second place by overtaking Maldini, Klose and Matthäus after three games in the group stage. The only troublesome thing is Messi (26), who is the absolute leader.
The most difficult task: goals and attacking performance
The most complex category in CR7 is Goals. He currently has eight and needs eight more to equal Miroslav Klose, who holds the record with 16. Among active football players, Messi (13 years old), Mbappe (12 years old) and Harry Kane (8 years old) are his closest rivals.
But there is one record that Ronaldo already holds. He is the only player to have scored in five different World Cups. If he scores in 2026, he will extend a record that even Messi, who has scored in four tournaments, has not been able to achieve.
