EEven without Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese national team qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 9-1 victory over Armenia on Sunday.
CR7 was sent off in the previous match against Ireland and was unable to play in this match. But having secured his ticket to the tournament, Cristiano is preparing to play in his sixth World Cup, becoming the only player to do so. However, Lionel Messi could break his record.
Lionel Messi reminds us who is king with outrageous golasso during Argentina training
Messi can achieve the same milestone as CR7
Cristiano Ronaldo, like the captain of the Argentina national team, has participated in the following World Cups: Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
However, CR7 confirmed that he will play in 2026 and it will be his last, but Lionel Messi has not confirmed that he will play.
In his sixth World Cup appearance, Messi will not only go down in football history as one of only two players to have played six times, but will also defend the title he won as he aims to defeat France in Qatar 2022 and win the championship.
The Inter Miami star said in a recent interview with SPORT that the competitions in the US, Canada and Mexico will be “special” and he is “excited” to take part again, but is unsure of his decision and will evaluate it “day by day”.
“I want to get my body in shape and make sure I can contribute. I don’t want to be a burden… There will be a pre-season before a few games before the World Cup. I need to check how I’m doing day-to-day.”
Nevertheless, Leo and Cristiano are already part of a small group of players who have appeared in five World Cups. Germany’s Lothar Matthäus and Mexico’s Antonio Carvajal, Rafael Murquez and Andrus Guardado were on the shortlist. However, no player appeared in six games. Until now.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and it already promises to be historic.
